Drift'n Away
by mamabot
Summary: DriftxOC. A new plot bunny made it's home in the saga of PRime Blood. A romance for one of our favorite Ninjabots and Perceptor's mission partner. First chapter, how did he get here? More important, how will he get out of it?
1. bound or bond

**Prime Blood: Drift'n Away (Chapter 1?)**

**{a/n, saw a picture on da and this ran way. I just may have more brewing for this poor guy.**

_How did I get into this predicament? Strung up and incapacitated. Humiliating._

A servo trails up his back. A breath ghost over his brow. Yet he remains calm accessing the situation. He smells an unknown perfume. The servo is not rough on his bare underarmor, but the nail is sharp just enough pressure to let him know it could do damage… if it wanted. The breath on his brow is to tease him, also sweet smelling. Not intoxicated, but certainly had a flute of private reserve refreshment. The blindfold leaves him to his other senses.

The nail trails around his side dipping into the hollow of his arm pit. With his wrists tied up and over his head, his body shutters involuntarily. The owner of the nail says nothing and does not change the trail of her servo tip. It continues across his side but dips down the rib, over the curve of his unarmored hip and hesitates.

Biting as hard as he can on his cheek lining does nothing to stop the whimper from his throat. Ankles clamped to the floor in their own stasis cuffs gives him no option to move. The servo continues across the front of the pelvic plate and now five sharp servo nail tips grip the highly sensitive underarmor covering his _tank. _This time the nails do prick harder. He moans. The RNA _tank _is full from neglected use due to too many missions laidened with honor and duty. Now the pump just at the top of the tank has been triggered against his will.

Well, not completely against his will. He tries with all his might to remember his processor-center-training from Wing and shut down the aroused induced systems. _Processor over matter. Processor over matter. Processor over matter…_

The nails rake up his chest ever so slightly scratching the also snow white underarmor, removing one finger at every inch so that by the time it reaches his _cord slit _in his chest, it is one very soft finger tip. It slips into the slit touching the heated _cord head._

"Ah-haha- ah!" he gasps. Yep, Wing's training just shot out of this galaxy. He sags into the pull on his wrists causing him to lean heavier into the servo's touch. The deeper the servo pushes under the soft Kevlar-like lining into the delicate member's safety housing, the hard the _cord _gets.

"Nahhhh," he tries to growl fighting against the delectable touch. But his body isn't listening. He hisses as his _cord _head reaches the cold air of the room exposing the full member.

Then the female-beast retreats. Her touch is gone. Her perfume is gone. Her warm breath on his brow -gone.

But he knows she is still in the room. He can hear her breathing. Panting. Her retreat is not helping him one little bit.

The words are a mere whisper to his soul. His audios didn't hear them. _**The bond **_did.

_**Take me.**_

His breath hitched. _Take her? How?_

_**I won't last. Take me.**_

Drift swallows hard. _She won't last? Pit, nor will he. _He smirks, maybe he could torture her a little longer and just remain here, bound, blinded, controlled. Serves her right for keeping the shield up and doing this to him.

_**Don't you dare even think about it. How long will you last if I don't?**_

He smiles. Oh he does like being bonded. Too bad he hadn't take her as his mate a lot sooner. So much he has missed out on all these vorns.

_**Beloved, this game is not just about you. Remember… it takes two to become **_**One.**

He pulses back to her how much he adores her, and loves her. _**Come join with me.**_

Her spark rate double times shooting static down their bond and electrifying the room.

_**No, you come here. I order you.**_

Now he does growl out loud in a venomous mechly way. Blindfolded or not, she can feel his fierce stare. "You do not order me. And you know it."

She snarls back, "I shall not plea for you."

He returns her snarl, "I never asked you to."

Two stomps forward, "You never told me you were leaving for nearly a half vorn."

He juts his chin up, "I c_ouldn't! _And you know that."

Her face is closer, but not too close to him, "You could have _pulsed me _you, arrogant mech!"

"I could not!" He snaps back his retort.

She is not delicate in ripping the blind fold off and he instantly closes his optics, "Look at me Drift! Look at your mate!" He refuses to obey her order. So she grabs his chin and brings her nose to touch his and snaps again, "Look at me! Look me straight in the optics and tell me why you couldn't tell your mate you were leaving her."

His optics flashed open and his voice was ever so soft, "I wasn't leaving you, my love."

She had not expected his voice to drop so soft and nearly trembling. He captures her lips warmly, possessively. Sinking to her knees she delves into his heated kiss claiming her as his own. Every swipe of his tongue, ever nip of his teeth were marking her mouth as his own. Like he has -and wants to right now!- with his whole body.

Her arms curl around his neck and shoulders, while her armored chest presses to his unarmored one. He jerks back at a pinch of her armor on his sensitive _cord. _She readjusts and curls closer to his body and he tucks his chin to her neck.

"Can you let me loose now?"

"No."

Very curious, "Why?"

"You still haven't answered. And don't give me that bull-slag of classified, or you will be sleeping here tonight bound."

He huffs, "You forget, I have been tortured before."

She mutters, "Not by me you haven't."

He curls his face in closer and whispers into their bond, "Every night away from you was worse than any place I had ever been."

She shakes her head lightly, "Still not letting you go."

He sighs heavily again, "Frag. But I'm not lying."

"I know." They remain in silence with his hands still tied above his head to a ring suspended from the ceiling of the weapons range. His ankles in stasis cuff anchored to a ring in the floor. How she got him tied up like this amazed him. She had help, no doubt. Who would have drugged him at Moonbase 1 and transported him to the refugee planet against his will. _**Perceptor! His black aft is MINE!**_

A warm servo curls around Drift's naked white one, _**I don't think so. Currently you are mine. So start talking.**_

Drift growls again, "Stop it. You know I won't say anything about the mission."

She yanks her head back grabbing his cheeks in two angry palms. "If you THINK this is about any frick'n _missions, _then you are more stupid than I ever though possible."

He scowls back. She doesn't move still waiting for his answer. He closes his optics. "You won't get away with that either. Acting like a sparkling and closing your eyes doesn't make the problem go away."

His optics pop open, "How dare you compare me to a sparkling!"

She yanks fully away and plants her hands firmly on her hips, "What do you want me to say when you are acting just like your son?"

His optics go wider than ever thought possible as he gasps tugging on his binds, "So-son?"

She flicks a finger at him in disgust, "Yes son. How do you think I felt when you knew I wasn't feeling well. I went to see the medic and when I come back to our quarters I find nothing. No note. No notice. No gear. Nothing. Just gone. As I sit on our cold hard berth alone and stare down at an image of a sireless sparkling." Drift's head sinks in shame. "You got that right. You'll have a far easier time getting out of those binds than you will with the mess you are in with me." She heads towards the door. "When you get your head out of your duty, I just may introduce you to your son. He has no idea who you are."

Drift lifts his head, "Wha-what do you mean?"

"He still may be an infant, but I was still left with nothing to tell him. Go ahead, while you wriggle your way out of those bonds, figure out how to bond with your son." She taps the code on the door and it slides open. Turning her head once more she replies, "Trainees arrive in in 30, you may want to get dressed." She flicks a finger to the ceiling showing his armor scattered all over the rafters. With that, she's gone.

_**Frag.**_

_**You can say that again…**_ She stomps through the bond as her peds ring through the hallway. Each beat is a stab to his spark.

_Gosh darn frick'n plot bunnies! Don't they know I have too many idea already in this head a more important things to do? Poor Worughtiron and Smudge just got shoved to the back burner due to one picture of a strung up Ninja bot. Magnus, if you want your story, you'll just have to come and beat this punk up._


	2. sweeties and swears

**Prime Blood: Drift'n Away: Chapter 2**

_Stomp stomp stomp…_

Each pounding of the sharp heals on the metal hallway floor just pounded and pierced his spark. _I knew better. I should have known. I should have…_

_Shut up Drift! She's right. Get your head out of your duty to Prime and go take care of your primary duty._

The white helm with three golden yellow embelishments tips up to look at his wrist bindings. Tight, good knots, strong cable. Then he looks down to his ankles. Standard cuffs, but room to roll within the ring. Yeah, he can do this. He casts one last glance to the closed door leading to the hall of his doom. _That _on the other hand was a whole other story.

First things first, the _cord _tucks itself away. Pulling down on the wrist bindings, he pulls his knees up to his chest, rolls his ankles back making the flat of his peds rest on the floor, and bringing his bound wrist to his face pulls himself to a standing posistion. Perfect. With is teeth, begins tugging and ripping at the knot. This one was tight and a few extra knots just to really make him work for it.

_How the Pit did this all get started anyways? _While he worked on getting himself released and dressed, his processor rolled back to that very fateful day.

_~~~00~~~_

This was a pansy run. Anybody could do this run. But not just _anyone_ had asked him. No, his god-sparklings had asked him for some sweeties. Those matching pink and black faces with their ever so adorable smiles and pleading blue optics, "Please Uncle Drift?"

He dropped his head in defeat. If the Decepticons could find a way to use that expression, they would bring the Autobots to their knees in a nano-click. This hardened, ex-Decepticon was powerless against his sniper-partner's twin daughters' pouty expressions.

"Fine," he sagged in defeat. The sparklings squealed in delight.

The pink giggling femme standing directly behind the little femme-manipulators brought his head upright with a single finger tip to his center golden mark of his helm. "Thank you, Drift."

He cocks his head in warning, "Anything else while I'm there?"

She takes that finger tip and puts it to her cheek, "Well now that you mention it-"

"Laroura!" he snarls back to Perceptor's mate.

She pulls a data pad out of her subspace and hands it to him, "The Abby." His anger drops instantly. She had asked him to deliver a private message to her friends at the convent from which she was raised and Percy had swept her away… well by accident. But that was another story.

His tone drops very soft, "Anything else?"

"Perceptor said he will meet you on the third moon morning after the festival. Said he was finishing up some details with Prime." She reaches over her daughters clinging to their uncle's strong white-armored legs to wrap her own around his shoulders. "You could give him something else for me." She kissed Drift's cheek.

Instead the proud mech chuckles and hugs her back, "I think not." She giggles with him. Stepping back, Laroura releases Drift to board his precious little ship _Speck. _Drift cocks a curious and wary look at his pristine white ship. There were some strange pink marks. It was a struggle for him to make the few remaining steps to his ship with a pink-black femme wrapped tightly around each stabilizing servo. They giggled and squealed while he lumbered over. Sure enough. There were pink flowers painted on each side of the door to his ship. He looked down to the two artists only cocking a optic brow at them to explain.

"Uncle Drift, _Speck _looks so ulk, plain. She needs pizazze." Mercy chirped out.

Autoclave, with her corrective lenses and a bit more reserved points to her sister, "It was her idea. I just helped." She knows how particular Drift is about his _baby. _No one messes with _Speck _and walks way undamaged or scorned. She is wary as to what he would do her. His charges.

Drift kneels down and wraps an arm around each sparkling making sure they look directly into his optics. "I love you both very, very much. And your painting is beautiful, but-"

Mercy looks like she is going to cry, so he keeps his tone tender and warm, "There is a reason why _Speck _is so plain." He kisses each identical helm in the identical spot, "She needs to look like nothing special on the outside. Nothing to make her stand out. Blend in. If anyone saw your beautiful art work, they would know there is something very deep and special within my spark. They may try to track down my beautiful and talented artists, hold them captive until I spill all my secrets."

Mercy's optics go wide in shock. Drift gives her a broad smile, "And I would spill everything if it meant keeping you both safe from harm. I would hand over Prime to keep one scratch of harm from you."

Autoclave gapes, "You would not!"

Drift gives her his most serious stare, as if he was facing Unicron himself, and drops his tone to a near growl. "I would. Never question that." He heard Laroura swallow hard. Autoclave tightens her grip on her uncle and her voice trembles, "I love you Uncle Drift."

He curls his face into her helm and whispers into the delicate offspring's audio, "I love you too my dear Sweet Autoclave."

Laroura pulls out a washcloth from her subspace and washes the pink flowers off the outside of the ship.

Drift turns his attention to the lead-trouble maker, "Tell you what, next time I am back, I'll give you something to paint inside so when I'm alone and relaxing I have something to look at. Deal?" She nearly chokes him with her response. His chest rumbles in delight. Then he stands up and hands the squeaking bundles of his partners love to their creator, "Must be off. Have shopping to do." But he doesn't get away without three more kisses to his face plate. _Speck _pulled away from the secret refugee planet and towards Rousan, Laroura's birth-home.

~~00~~~

_Speck _glided into the private shuttle parking area. Drift checked to make sure all the pink markings were off his ship and made his way to the dinner/gift shop. They had just the sweeties his "nieces" loved. It was a busy place which was good for blending into a crowd but not so good in other situations. Like this:

His hand reached for the door and opened it as another mech was running out. Instinct told him to duck. Just in time for the heavy serving tray to come sailing over his head and nail the retreating mech in the back of the head knocking the intended target to the ground. But Drift wasn't fast enough for the next move.

The stomp of stilletos and a furious femme voice barreling towards crouching him and fallen mech, "I **told you! **Never to come near her **again. **I warned you what would happen!" Drift felt one of his narrow bladed swords (obviously not The Great Sword) ripped from the crossed scabboard on his back as she pushed him further out of the way towards her target. Drift turned his head and saw the average size yet fiesty femme grab the fallen mech by the shoulder and throwing him to his back. With two hands on the hilt she points the sword tip to the mech's armor covered _cord._

"You bastard!"

The downed mech glances to Drift for help while pleading to the femme above, "Please I only came to bring the alimony creds."

She leans in pressing the tip into the chinks of the damaged and uncared for armor, "It's call a bank transfer you lying sewer-maggot. And it's called a court order."

"I just had-"

"To put your hands on her, rough her up again and …"

Drift stands up at this point and can see what is going on. He can hear the crying femme victim inside the diner being coddled by another waitress. This piece of slag on the pavement outside the dinner wasn't even worth the town's time. They stepped around the femme holding the sword to the mech without even a second glance entering the diner.

The pinned mech continues to sputter. The femme continues to call him a names and the rest of the story is spilled out.

"I wish I could sever the spark bond. Unfortunately she will forever be tortured by your sends. You lying, sleaze. Why did you even bother to bond with her while you stick your _cord _into every willing port in every docking station you steal from?" The smile on her face broadens. "Well, at least I can relieve you of one tie to her."

The mech on the ground screeches out in horror. He knows what she is planning. The femme inside the diner cries out as well, "I'm sorry, Baby. I'm so sorry. I'll never do it again. I promise. I'll never -" With one motion of her hand, the angry femme motions to remove the pleading femme from the room. She breaks away from her guardian and comes to her louse of a mate.

Drift reaches out and puts a hand on the fiesty femme's fist wrapped around his sword while she seethes that the flailing one could be so weak over something so worthless. Drift leans in, "If I may…" The seething femme turns to him will full warning not to mess with her. He pulls a dagger from his boot cuff, "This would work better. Shorter blade, less risk to you own palms." Her mouth gapes open and releases the sword, taking the dagger. Drift reaches down and picks up the flailing weak femme and curls a strong arm around her shoulder using his softest tone, "I need some sweets. Could you assist me? I really like those blue ones with the red stripes."

The mech below him continues to cry out for help. Drift can see the femme in his arm is beaten, swollen and feeling the pulses from her mate. He uses some of the technique Wing had shown him by softly soothing her shoulder, arm and calming her while dropping his tone to a very hypnotic state lulling her to focus on him and nothing else. He walks her right past the counter containing the candies he needs and straight back into the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, he wraps both arms around her shoulders, pulling her to lean against his chest while his firm but warm finger tips massage and hit those sensors. The touch is numbing and puts her into a very calm trance state.

He almost looses it hearing the high pitched scream of mechly pain to a _very _sensitive member of the sewer-slug's body. Drift shutters, but doesn't stop his strumming fingertips.

A few minutes later, he hears the tap of stilettos coming towards the kitchen. She slams something on the counter beside the near offline femme in Drift's arms, "HERE!"

Both Drift and the femme gasp in horror. They both know what it is and what it took to rip it off. The ring looked damaged. It wasn't removed surgicly or nicely. It was near hacked off. Drift felt his own _cord _cringe and his "stomach" churn. Strong as he was, he was sure I was going to loose it. Instead he threw a towel over the "blood covered" object and turned the femme's head away from it.

The Kelly green and ice-lemon yellow fiesty femme snapped back from the kitchen sick, "I got that back for you. He won't be using THAT against you. You are free to find real love now."

The femme in Drift's arms is coming out of the calm dream-state he's nearly put her in, "I had love."

The femme turns using the still "blood" covered dagger at her, "That is not love. That is slavery and torture. That was NOT a relationship. He tricked you. He lied to you. He used you. And you fell for it!"

Drift pipes up to the angry femme, "Calm down. You aren't helping."

She aims the dagger in his direction furious that he would interrupt or correct him, "That's right, I haven't done anything but give her a job, a room in my home for her and her sparkling, pay for lawyer, physically throw her worthless slag of an abuser out of my establishment over and over again to save her life."

Drift sighs heavily, "That's not what I meant, and you know it." They stare each other down for a few minutes. Drift has soothed the abused femme back into a calm state again so that all her weight is resting on him. "Is there some place she can rest?"

The waitress from earlier burst into the kitchen, "Narc! ChiP is headed in!"

"Scrap!" The green femme hisses. Quickly she shoves the blade in her hand under the water and a ton of solvent washing the rest of the bodily fluids off. "Get her out of here, but don't take her to my place."

The blue and white femme nods, "I'll take her to my sister. You going to be okay?"

The dark green femme shoots a warm look over her shoulder, "No, but I'll live."

The blue femme turns the abused one into her arms, "Hey there sweetie. You're coming with me."

"My sparkling?"

"Not to worry. I'll have him meet us."

"Catch!" The green femme throws Drift his dagger just as the back door slams shut and the front kitchen door opens to an Enforcer filling the frame. Drift quickly crosses his ankles looking nonchalant, hiding the dagger and damaged towel covered ring behind his back. Carefully he slips them both into his hip plate.

"Naaaaarc," the imposing Law Enforcement Officer growls out the femme's name.

"Yeeeeeessss, " she returns.

"Mind explaining why there is a mech bleeding from his _cord _where a bonding ring has been cut off. He says by you but there are no witnesses to collaborate is story?"

"Huh?" She gives her best innocent reply. The Enforcer doesn't fall for it and furrows his brow while narrowing his gaze. "Oh come on, does that really sound like something I would do?" The officer leans in punctuating her statement. "Okay, it _sounds _like something I would do. But serious, do you think I really w_ould _do something like that?" She flicks her fingers around the kitchen and then shows her servos. "Do you really think I would taint my kitchen by touching that mech's {shutters} _thing_?"

Drift can't help but choke on his snort of laughter. Both heads turn him.

The Enforcer gives Drift his full attention, "And you are you?"

Drift puts a finger to his chest, "Me?"

The black and white officer's door wings twitch, "Don't give me that. One is bad enough, but two of you clowns trying to pull off the innocent routine, don't push your luck buddy."

Drift looks back to the femme. Nope, no help there. _Slag._

She scowls, "Yeah, what are you doing in my kitchen? Did you have anything to do with what happened out front?"

Drift purses his lips to her. How _dare _she try to pin this on him after all he did! And evil thought goes through his processor. He takes two steps towards her and cups her hip possessively, "Oh darling, don't be that way." She gapes at his audacity. So he places a dangerous kiss to the soft part of her neck and gives a stage whisper, "You afraid to tell him what we were really doing in the walk-in?"

"NARC!" The Enforcer growls to a predatory tone.

Narc smiles nervously. Oh if this white mech wants to play it that way, then she'll play and just maybe it will get her off the hook. "Um darling, not the best way to introduce my sire."

Drift's body tightens in complete fear. "Slag." _So much for staying under the radar._

Drift turns, slipping his arm into a more respective position around her waist and extending his arm, "Sorry, sir."  
The Enforcer isn't completely fooled though. "Narc, introduce your new _consort."_

The femme gasps, "Daddy! You make me sound like a whore."

He tips his helm, "Narc, you've had more interests than a honey pot has Insection visitors."

Narc yanks away from Drift and thrusts a finger towards the door, "Officer! If you are going to charge me than do it! Otherwise, this is private property and a kitchen where I prepare meals and have a health code to follow. I'm sure the grime on your peds could violate my license six different ways."

CHiP stares at his daughter for a few moments. The contest is fierce. Drift had felt less tension between Megatron and Optimus. He steps back trying to head out the door.

ChiP drops his tone to a softer one, "Your creator misses you. Please, why don't you bring your new friend to dinner tonight?"

Her chest is heaving still as she snaps back, "I'm out two waitresses. Gonna be Pit today."

The distraught sire nods, "Fine. Call her… please." He tips his head to Drift and turns out the door with drooped door wings. As the door swishes behind his retreating back, Narc leans over the sink and shutters silently. Drift knows better than to move. He's never been a long tern serious relationship, but he's seen enough bots screw them up. Not to say he was even contemplating a relationship (where the Pit did that idea come from!)…

"Go away…" she breathes.

"Narc…." he tries to soothe.

"Get out of my kitchen before you are today's special." He steps around her and heads for the door.

Then turns back and holds out his dagger, "Just in case he comes back." She knows exactly what he is offering. He will take away the evidence and leave her a momento of himself. She takes the dagger and gifts him with a tinge of smile. He just stares.

She's beautiful, fiesty, protective of her employees, not afraid to hold her ground with her protective parents and has their respect… She's amazing. His palm comes over and caresses her cheek. She looks like she could use a kind touch. "They're very luck to have you." She smiles. And then he pulls away.

~~00~~~

The walk up to the Abby was pleasant with an added bonus of being allowed to meditate in the courtyard garden. He missed Wing so bad. Having Perceptor has been a much needed blessing to his life. Bonded-Percy has been a mixed blessing. He loved Percy's family and they loved him right back. On the other hand, he wouldn't mind having one of his own. But… how? Who? He was an assassin. His job was to kill. And that made him at the top of many an enemy's list. It was hard enough trying to protect Percy's mate and daughters as it was….

Humans have a name for this mood he was in: biological clock was ticking. Yeah, by that belonged to biological beings and to ones who had countdowns on their lives. He had neither. No, this was just plain jealousy. He lowered his head to his folded knees and sighed heavily.

He buries the tainted bonding ring in the garden hoping Primus will be forgiving and allow the femme to find a true mate in the future.

~~00~~

Half way back to his _Speck, _he cursed himself. He forgot the sweeties for his beloved nieces. He had a better chance facing a Deception transport ship alive than returning home with out the precious cargo. That meant going back to the diner. He sighed.

This time he was careful who was around him while he entered the diner. Coming to the counter, the cashier turned around and locked gazes with him.

"Hey," she says softly.

"Hey," he returns not finding the rest of his words.

"Need something?" she teases him.

He eeks out a smile, "Yeah I forgot something in the excitement yesterday." She reaches to the small of her back, but he shakes his head and puts up a hand, "Not that."

He drops his gaze to the bags of candy down in the glass cabinet below the register. "I need six of those."

Her optics go wide, "Six?" She reaches down, "Which ones?"

"The blue and red ones."

She gathers them up and asks the leading question, "For you?"

It comes out before he could stop himself, "No."

Her motion stops and looks up to him. He bites his lower lip and nearly blushes, "I like the green and yellow ones." He closes his optics quickly at the horrible double meaning that just came out.

Instead, Narc just chuckles lightly seeing him flush. She knows exactly who she is. She's no dumby. She had her contacts and used them as soon as he had left yesterday.

Before her was one of the sneakiest and deadly assassins in the Autobot Army…. Blushing like a school-mech.

He groans back softly, "Just give me the candy so I can slink out of here."

She bags up his goodies (throwing in a bag of the green and yellow ones for him) and takes his credits. Handing it over, she gives him a sweet smile, "Anything else I can do for you-" she drops to a whisper, "Drift?" His optics shoot wide open. She reaches up and hooks one finger around The Great Sword and tugs. It brings his whole body closer to hers, "Thanks for yesterday." She gives him a light kiss on his cheek and then releases the sword. He doesn't move. Her perfume and light touch nearly undoes him.

It has been so long since a light touch from a non-family femme (Preceptor's family was _his _family too) that it froze him.

Narc takes it as an invitation, and moves her face back into a new position. She kisses him on the lips this time. Tenderly, leading… then she retreats, "Better?"

"Narc! Who is this handsome mech?"

"Slag," Narc mutters this time. She just doesn't get a break. Both Drift and Narc turn to the older ice-lemon femme who just walked into the diner. "Hello, Mother," she sighs in defeat.

The femme holds her hand out to Drift, "Hello, I'm Saffron." Drift takes her hand and just swallows hard. He _can't _introduce himself to the Chief of the Enforcer's mate.

Narc helps him out seeing the fear on his face, "Mother, this is Bias. He was just leaving."

Saffron hooks her claws around Drift's bicep, "Oh no you do not, honey. Narc, you might be able to get away with pushing your sire away, but not me. Now you are taking a break and coming with me." She tugs Drift's arm, knocking him off balance and stumbling after her. Saffron snaps her fingers to a waitress, "Three cups, table two." Drift is dragged to the empty table and a hand on his shoulder shoves him into a chair binding and tangling his swords in the wrought iron backing. Wiggling, he gets himself comfortable and watches Narc sink into her chair beside her mother. The waitress brings the three steaming mugs of Energon and they all sit in silence.

The older femme scowls, "Narc! Out with it."

Narc looks to Drift with an apology. He smiles back at her nervousness and lays his hand over hers warmly.

"So how long have you been courting?" Saffron bluntly asks.

Narc chokes on her Energon, "No one uses that term anymore!"

Saffron narrows her gaze to Drift, "If you are going to interface with a femme in my establishment in MY kitchen, then I will use whatever terms I want."

Narc yanks her hand away from Drift, "MY kitchen!"

Her mother counters, "Not until you pay off the loan. MY kitchen." Narc drops her face into her palm propped up on the table.

Drift counters, "We didn't actually interface. I was teasing trying to ease the situation. It backfired."

Saffron turns to Drift, "I would say so." She narrows her gaze even more, "I don't think I like a cad like you who would tease about something like that in front of a law enforcement officer."

Drift stands up, "True." He nods to Narc respectfully, picks up his bag of goodies. Laying a few credits on the table for his cup of Energon he didn't touch, he leaves.

Narc drops her face back into her palm.

"Well, that was rude," her mother scoffs and sips her drink.

Drift heads back to his beloved _Speck _with his treasure. A message has come in from Perceptor. Change of plans. Still morning, but on the planet. Seems his contact was in the med ward with a delicate injury. No response was needed. Drift groaned.

~~00~~

Alone on his beloved ship he flipped through his holocube of his new life with the Autobots. But his favorite one of all is when he arrived at the refugee planet a few solar cycles after Laroura and Percy delivered the twins. They settled him into a chair and put the girls into his arms. Without him realizing it, the tears had streamed down his face. And right now it was happening again. Mercy. Autoclave.

_Knock knock knock. _

Drift stowed his album and wipes his face. To his surprise, it was Narc at his door.

"Hey," she smiled.

"Hey," he leaned into the door frame. He couldn't let her in. She got that and stepped back letting him come to her. So he did, locking the door behind him.

"There's a festival going on today. Do you want to go?" She asks him.

He smiles and crossed his arms over his chest, "And how many more people do you **not **want to explain me to?" She giggles. He chuckles.

Then she sighs with relief. "How would you like to sit out here away from everything and talk about absolutely nothing and share some high-grade and sweeties with me." She holds up a bottle in one hand and a bag of green and yellow sweeties. Then she smirks, "I prefer the white and red striped one."

Giving her a cocky smirk he waggles his optic brow, "Those are good too. They've got a bite to them." She reaches out and slaps his shoulder playfully. Then she takes his hand and leads him to the nearby tree covered hill.

And so they spend the late day and evening shooting the breeze about on-air games they played, recipes they like, books they've read, places they've visited with awesome landscape, faith and ponderies of the universe… What a vorns worth of courting would accomplish, they did by late night.

Narc leans in closer to him, "So, who are the sweeties really for?"

"Two very special femme in my life."

She won't let him get away with that and pushes, "Driiiiiift."

"My partner's daughters." She yanks back in shock. He shakes his head, "_Business _partner."

She cocks a brow at him. "Narc, you know my business and you know I will not speak of it. Mostly for your safety." With that, he reaches out and curls his arms around her drawing her into his lap.

"Nieces, hum?" She settles into his arms loving the feel of his spark beat against her cheek. "You must love them a lot."

His voice gravels, "As if they were my own."

Her hand trails over his sigil, "Do you want any of your own?"

His hand caresses her back, "Just had to ask that question at this time, didn't you. Were you in the garden yesterday?"

Her head turns to look up at him, "Garden?"

He raises his chin to look up to the sky, "Yeah, I went to meditate in the Abby garden yesterday. Special permission."

"And what did you pray for?"

"Your employee that she may find true love someday."

"And?"

He tips his helm back to her, "Yesh, you are just like your parents. Tenatious and unstoppable. Does anyone tell you no?"

She smiles, "Yes. But it doesn't mean I obey." He smiles and shakes his head. Looking back into her optics, something has changed.

Next thing he knows, they are inside _Speck _tearing at each other's armor with kisses trying to dominate each other. All rational though is gone. Warning signals are venomously ignored and kicked aside. Claws rake. Teeth nip. ….

a/n yeah next chapter is going to be hot.


	3. rings and clampings

**Prime Blood: Drift'n Away: Chapter 3**

Narc was no fool, she knew Drift had interfaced before. Drift on the other hand had forgotten to ask on crucial question of Narc. _Was she pure-based Rousan?_

Why he didn't ask, he will forever be asking himself for the rest of his life.

The way her hands were running over his naked body probably had a lot to do with it. They moved like a pro. A pinch here, one sharp nail grazing there drew a shuttering hiss from him, and then a nip drew the "oooooohhhh," slowly that time.

Meanwhile his hands were caressing her hips, suckling at her belly and watching the neck stretch back over his wrist when his tongue dipped into the slit of her moist port. Oh she tasted better than those little treats she brought to the trees. He lapped at her sweetness.

In return, she savored the feel of his _cord _head in her mouth. Relished in the moans it brought forth when she swirled her own tongue over the highly sensitive tip. He arched into her playfulness. And she brought forth more experienced minstrums.

He could feel the plates in his chest fighting his processor to let them part. He hear hers rattling wanting the same thing. He just knew if he didn't peak soon (terrified they would part with the peak) he would give away his spark.

He moaned harder. She tugged harder. He never gave her a warning. He didn't want to. Silently, he spilled. She cried out in her own strangled spazaming release joining his.

And he collapsed at her side, curling her into his crushing grip. Silently they both panted realizing how close they were to doing the scared act of spark bonding. Silent they brought the heated emotions to a quell and then to rest by clinging to each other afraid to move or speak.

One palm cupped an aft cheek keeping her hips pressed to his with his thick thigh between hers. His other palm cupped the base of her neck letting his thumb soothe and rub her nape, just like she had seen him calm her upset employee. It worked again. She was melting into his touch and melding into his warm chest. Too coddled to care about anything else but his touch.

Her own palm was pressed to his side crushed under both their bodies and the other between their torsos pressed to his spark. He nuzzled her forehelm with his lips.

This felt so good. No words. Just warmth. A cuddle for two tenacious, hardened people. Both of them trying to prove themselves to everyone else. Right now, they had nothing to prove and nothing to say. He rubbed her forehelm with his cheek and gave her a soft purr. She hummed back to him accepting the soft soothing caresses.

They were supposed to calm down. His lips lowered as hers reached up. Warm, tasting exploring, reaching…. And new depth. And different kind of need emerging.

This time his touches were slow caressing each line and each dimple of her body. She let him by crooning. His kisses tasted each and every part of her body while she mewled and encouraged him further. Her hands softly gripped the sides of his body helping him to lay, and press into her while her head swam with a new soothing warm passion.

She thought he knew. The magnificent Drift, powerfully skilled warrior and skilled assassin of the Autobot Elite stealth squadron. Certainly he knew. Didn't he?

He lined his chest up to her port. Licking his servo, dipped it through the soft folds of her port chamber testing her readiness. Her head threw back and she cried out in overload. He'd done it again with only his touches and kisses. He smiled, not for his own pride, but to see her pleasured. He brought his _cord _into position and began to slip it in.

Something snapped in her head and she yanked his hand away as the head parted the folds.

He thought she wanted only his c_ord. _She thought he was just passion driven and forgot. No one really thought to think.

As soon at the head completely entered the fold and was pressing the port entrance, she arched her back up making her port swallow him-

**SNAP"**_EYOWWWWWW" _he roared in pain and flew back slamming his head on the alcove ceiling with a **CRACK.**

His body was reeling with pain. She just went from pure pleasured high to instant reality buzzing with the loss of his touch and release of a sacred piece of her body. He couldn't figure out which head to grab or what just happened. _"What the frag was that?" _he howled.

And then it hit her like a ton of bricks: she didn't tell him.

Then it hit him like a ton of bricks: he should have asked.

Slowly he looked down to the _cord _still hard but turning limp quickly with reality. There circling the head of his _cord _like a princesses circlet on her brow was a platinum engraved band.

"_Oh shit." _He muttered the human curse this time.

"Drift, didn't you …."

"Know?" He narrows his gaze. His brain is processing so much so fast. This was Perceptor's expertise to run calculations and scenarios at light speed. On a whim… any where…. _Physically I am forever bound to her. I can never interface with another without causing great harm to herself or myself. I may be able to handle a beating, but I don't go looking for one like some. Or hype myself on drugs to over come the pain while I have a one night stand. No…._

He looks down to the beautiful feisty femme still between his knees. _I could never harm her by betraying the ring…._ "Funny Primus, very funny." She is stuck, forever bound to him. He gets off the berth and walks away from her. He has to clear his head. Still naked he walks to the cockpit and slams the dividing door shut.

Narc rolls to her side into a ball trying to figure out what to do. If they had spark bonded, like they should have first of all, then maybe she could _send_ to him. If nothing else, she could feel him. Instead, she was alone. What should she do? Wait for him? Was he coming back?

Narc waited a good while, but he didn't come back. So she put her armor on and left _Speck _humiliated_. _She would ask anything from him, she wasn't that kind of femme to give herself away so easily. Yet she just did.

He sealed himself in the cockpit looking down at the band around the head. It bore a similar inscription to the one on Perceptor's. Except this one carried the name of his partner in the ancient language: Narc.

One night after Perceptor had been shot in the chest and reeling in in pain, Drift had no choice but to look at the wound right next to his _cord _slit. Luckily they were best friends or this could have gotten awkward, quickly. Perceptor was in a lot of pain, and the emergency inhibitors Drift shot him full weren't working fast enough. Carefully Drift had stanched the flow of Energon by pressing on the wound. Perceptor screamed again_, _"The ring, Drift, you're pinching the ring."

Drift just blinked at Perceptor in complete shock, "You have a piercing?"

Now the inhibitors kicked in and Perceptor started giggling like an over energized new recruit. Before Drift knew it, Perceptor shoved Drift's hand aside and pulled the _cord _head out showing him Laroura's port locking ring clamped/bound to the tip. From there, Perceptor had to explain to his bewildered friend.

Drift understood quickly why he had been warned never to interface with a Rousan woman. So what possessed him to invite Narc into his berth tonight?

He wasn't "playing with himself" but he was feeling the engraved band stuck to his body. He was forever bound to the woman unless he wanted to go through what that slime-ball did today. He shuttered.

Movement just out of the window of the ship catches his attention. Her back was straight as she stomped back towards town. He knew he had done her wrong. Even worse by abandoning her. They both had just screwed up… literally.

He'd never gotten dressed so fast and sprinted after her as dawn was breaking. "Narc! Wait!" He called to her but it only made her move faster. So did he.

Catching up to her, he reached out and grabbed her arm, "Narc! Wait!"

She whirled around and slapped him across the face with the flat of his dagger, "You can keep that!" And threw it making it land stabbed into the ground directly beside his ped. She moved on at his release.

Her slap shocked him and he released her arm instantly. That was going to leave a mark. One he really didn't want to explain. But she was escaping. He sprinted up to her again, "Narc, please. We need to talk."

"Nothing to talk about, fly boy."

"That wasn't fair!" he retorts.

Now she does turn around, "Guess what! News flash, life isn't fair." He drops his hands to his side. "Got what you came for? Good now you can go home. You have an excellent medical team and a crack shot scientist. I'm sure you can figure out how to release it and move on with your life. No damage done… to you."

She almost missed his response, "What if I don't want to?"

She stops but it takes her a moment to completely comprehend what she heard, "Come again?"

He cautiously steps forward not believe the words tumbling from his own vocorder, "I said, what if I don't want to move on?"

Her shoulders sag, "You can't be serious."

He reaches out and takes her hand tenderly. The left one that would be marked forever by the joining of their sparks, "I said, what if I don't want to move on with anyone else. What if I want to consider a long term relationship with you?"

"Then I think you crack your helm a little too hard on the berth lid." She turns and walks away. He doesn't let go of her hand and she doesn't tug. So they are stuck with this arm stretched out between them. Yet she doesn't face him. "Drift, go home. You didn't stay with me, you've only known me for a matter of hours and we have both seen what can happen to snap decisions made in the heat of passion."

He steps closer pressing her finger tips to his fore helm, "I would never abuse this. I would never cause you harm on purpose. I maybe a warrior but that doesn't make me an abuser." He comes closer and she allows him to wrap his arms around her shoulders like he did her abused employee. "You are so strong and so amazing. You protect your employees like they were your very own family. A crack shot with a serving tray. Witty, incredible deep… shall I go on as to why I loved every moment under the trees with you?"

She curls her head to his chest wrapping her own arms around his waist. "Why didn't you stay with me?"

"Foolishness. I was afraid for you. What of me? I'm not mate material." She kisses his armor covered spark, but says nothing. "See?"

She giggles. "Would it matter what I said?"

"Yes."

Sighing heavily, she confesses, "Drift, I knew who you were before you walked into my diner the first time."

"Oh slag," slips out.

"Shall I tell you I stole a copy of your image from my sire's work files for my private viewing months ago," too embarrassed to face him buries her face into the chest armor.

"Ohhhhh slagggg." He groans. She had been infatuated with him and then found out who he really was. He let her down.

"Shall I tell you how I wanted to hire you to take out some of the mobsters who use my family diner for their business transactions?…. Just so I could see you in action." she mutters and flushes.

He tips her head back to look into his optic, "You're crazy. You know that?" She took it the wrong way and tried to pull away. Instead he holds her tighter and leans into her audio, "I like crazy. Makes me feel normal."

"Oh slag," she mutters pressing her fore helm to his spark chamber again. He likes her back. Her roll in the hay for fun with a fable was becoming something more. Why was she crumbling like this. She was no weak sparked fool, she was a fierce business owner.

"Will you come back with me and we can talk about this? Please?" He nuzzles her cheek like a turbofox would his life mate. "Love?"

She rolls her fore helm against his chest, "Don't call me love unless you honestly mean it. And I don't want any of those stupid nick names, got it, Sweet-aft," nervously she teases back.

His chest rumbles, "Sure thing, Babe."

"Elick, shall I puke on your peds now or in your berth?" She slaps his while paneled aft.

Instead he curls an arm around her waist and leads her to his personal ship. "I should warn you, my partner is supposed to meet me sometime today at _Speck. _Please don't be surprised and maybe we should hold off on telling him, okay?"

She tips her helm up to him, "I just want to know who is telling my parents?" They both moan at that thought.

They make it back to his berth still fully armored afraid passionate urges will skew them from the topic that really needs to be covered. He pushes his back up against the berth wall and taking her hands guides her between his bent knees, curling her head back against his chest. Once again her fingers traced his Autobot shield.

"Tell me your dreams, Drift."

"One of my dreams already came true." She turns her head up to him. He smiles, "I joined the Autobots and found friends and actually some peace." She gives him a curious look. "I said some, not all. I have more peace than I knew before."

Nodding her finger trails down his chest to the area where his _cord _and her band lays hidden. "Drift… what did you envision your mate to be like?"

His arms cinch tighter around her. He won't let her escape during his confession. "I wanted someone a lot like you. Independent, witty, but passionate." He lets his thumb stroke her back, "I don't mean just the berth. I see how passionately you run your business and protect your employees. You love your parents and yet fight for your own way. Believe it or not, they respect you a lot."

"I know they do. I think it's hard for any parent to let their children to fully grow up."

"At least you had a family." He states it as a fact, not with bitterness.

"What do you want for your family?"

"Can you answer that first? I have been pondering it ever since I held my nieces for the first time."

"I just want them to be loved by both their parents. I want them to know they are loved and wanted. Just as my parents did for me."

If possible, his arms become tighter. "I have to tell you, I fear for my family. There's huge bounties on my head. If anyone knew about you…"

"I know Drift, I know. It's bad enough being the Chief's daughter. It's been getting a lot more dangerous around here."

"I can take you someplace safe, if you like," his voice is so deep and warm. Comforting like the tone alone could wrap her forever in his safety."Where would you take me?" Drift pulls back and smiles with a tear brimming, "My nieces. They would love you, Narc."

"You really have nieces?" He nods. "I would love to meet them." She reaches up and strokes the mark she left on his face, "I'm so sorry, my love."

He smiles, "All is fair in love and war."

She lifts her lips to kiss the mark, "Make love not war?" He chuckles turning his mouth to take hers slowly. He didn't mean to start something again. She didn't mean to encourage him…

This time making love had a lot more giggles and teasing. That was until the passion level hit that panting stage again and she was pleading this time for him. This time when he slipped within her port, her body surges and cries out his name in ecstasy. Her processor scrambles and claws grasping for something to hang onto while he pulses, surges and throbs into her… loosing himself to her.

The sparks emerge simultaneously and slam into each other with the force of a nova storm. Both are stunned by the _**One **_over taking their senses. It causes an instant physical overload which bounces and reverberates back and forth through the bondlink. Both bodies cry out while the _**One **_relishes and savors the taste of love.

Unfortunately, it can't be held forever and the sparks return to their housings. Drift collapses onto her and slips to the side so her smaller frame doesn't bare all his weight. She cuddles his head into her neck stroking the wounded cheek. His hot breath venting on her neck is wonderful.

He drapes one leg over her hips pinning her down, forbidding her from moving. Curling a palm under her arm, clamps it to her shoulder, "Mine. Forever," he pants.

"Forever," she whispers back.

It had been a long day, So much emotional energy had been spent. He slipped into stasis repeating his claim. She was a thought behind him in agreement.

The com beeped in warning of someone accessing the door panel to the ship. It shut off quickly by the override code. Drift knew that meant Perceptor had arrived.

Perceptor had arrived?

He quickly came awake and looked to his berth as the door began to slide open. He wasn't gentle as he leapt out of the berth, throwing the thermal sheet over the femme and swiftly putting on essential armor. The gauntlets and grieves could wait, but chest and pelvic were a must.

Perceptor entered the ship just as Drift panted and met him trying to block his view of the occupied berth at the back of the ship. It only encouraged Perceptor to scowl and try harder to look. Drift sagged knowing he would loose and if he fought, it would only wake her up in the ensuing physical fight. So he stepped aside. Percy saw the ice lemon yellow femme laying face down on the main berth, arm tucked under the pillow with a rumbled hastily tossed sheet covering only her rump. The strong lithe back and delectable but strong legs remained exposed.

Drift blushed under Perceptor scowl and lowered his head further. With a black palm clamped to Drift's white bicep, they headed to the cockpit area where they could close a door to the rest of the exposed ship.

Drift was no saint, but nor was he a playmech. Perceptor knew he had warned Drift about this planet, so he was sure Drift wouldn't do anything stupid. Pretty sure, his partner did have a guilty look on his face.

Drift on the other had, was sure Perceptor could read him like a book. Therefore he ignored the elephant in the room and looking at his partner, "What did you find out from your contact?"

Perceptor huffed at the obvious ploy but went along with it, "Yeah, he's selling parts to the local mafia. Wants protection, but not from them. From his mate's crazed boss. He said she cut off his bonding band with a dagger. Some strange white mech with red stripes, yellow helm tips and three swords strapped to his back helped her." Percy leaned in and scrutinizes his partner's cheek bruised in a very dagger-like pattern, "Know anything about that?"

Drift leans back, trying to be cocky and flicks a hand through the air, "Yeah, right. Does that sound like anything I would be involved with?"

"Who is the femme, Drift?" He flicks his own black hand with a yellow stripe entwined around it towards the back of the ship.

_Love, I have to go. I need to open the diner. Can you come see me before you leave?_

Drift's head slams into the back of the seat feeling her within his spark and mind as clear as if she was in his arms. And oh how he wants to just wrap his arms around her, pull her into his lap, and bury his lips into her neck… Staying there forever just feeling her weight against him, her spark pulsing against his in blessed harmony…

He sighed outwardly in bliss. He felt her _send _brushing against his spark with a graze of her kisses. _I would love that, too. Any chance we could really have that?_

"Drift? You can't phase me out so easily. I can knock you upside the head with a rifle butt and break into that Ninjabot trance of yours." On no, Perceptor was bringing out the big guns now, he was threatening physical violence against his partner. Drift peeked a look at his red and black fuming partner- oh crap, he meant it too.

The rustling of armor can be heard behind the door breaking the conversation further.

Drift coughs and asks shakily, "And what did you tell him?"

"I would have to talk to my _partner._ What should I have told him while I was scooping my jaw off the floor?" Drift was sure he saw little wisps of smoke or steam curling out of the black audios.

_Love, are you alright? _Narc could feel Drift getting really worried. She didn't understand his fear/hurt.

He knew he had to do something to ease her. Instead _sent _back his reassurance of his safety and then the reason for his troubled spark, _Oh, just being interrogated by my best friend about that stunt you pulled yesterday on our contact._

He could feel her cringe and the sounds stilled in the other room for a minute. _Knew the guy was bad news, _she responds. _Almost as bad as you._

Drift openly laughs. Percy cocks an optic. The exterior door to the little shuttle opens and the femme his heard quietly leaving. Percy turns to watch the green and yellow femme walk away with a spring in her step.

"Drift, who is she and what have you done?"

Drift stands up and turns away, "Nothing you haven't." And he cringed. Oh he wanted to kick himself for that one.

"What the SCRAP does that mean?" Perceptor barks to Drift's retreating back trying to follow him for an answer.

Drift slams the berth into it's folded-locked away position hiding the evidence of his love making. Then gathers up the rest of his armor and swords that had been shoved under the berth during the night. He kept a neat and tidy ship, for an ex-Decepticon. Wing had taught him a lot about order. There wasn't much to clean up, but Drift tried to make it look like the place was a dump and vigorously needed straightening.

The ruse didn't last, "Drift, are going to talk to me?"

"No, haven't you figured that out yet?" Finally there is nothing else he can do to distract and finds himself able to finally face his team mate, "So, where are we going and what are we doing?"

"Is any one else after your aft?" Perceptor crosses his arms not dropping the earlier subject.

Drift smirks, "Perceptor, I've got thousands of people after my armor, what else is new?"

Perceptor waggles a finger at him, "One of these days Drift… I swear one of these days you're going to make that one move, and the entire universe is going to fall on your head and I won't be there to cover your tracks or dig your sorry aft out."

Drift cocks a finger right back, "It's your aft I have been digging out and no one ever needs to cover my tracks. I leave no marks." His optics catch a single candy on the floor. Green and yellow. He swallows hard… he left one mark that will last forever….

His tone drops to a very serious one, "Just tell me this mission isn't dangerous."

Perceptor scoffs, "Tell me when they aren't!" With that, he pulls out a chip and plugs it into the "desk" like device on the wall. Planning time has begun.

Drift takes a sigh and pulls a shield over his spark to protect his mate.

~~00~~

Narc found herself mewling over last night as well doing her best to keep her thoughts from traveling down their bondlink. Now she was beginning to understand everything her bonded friends and parents had talked about. Someone was living within you spark. Unlike poor Wrongway, the abused waitress, Narc's spark mate was warm and comforting. Near ashamed that he had invaded her personal space, she felt as she walk away from his ship. She _sent_ back that she liked the feeling of not being alone any more and she was glad it was him, a trained warrior who wasn't afraid of hard difficult feisty femmes. He sent a kiss down the link and then pulled a block up.

She didn't blame him. She didn't want to know what the assassin was up to either. Besides, she had a job to do and people were counting on her.

Coming up the back entrance to her diner, she quickly dashed into her wash rack and scrubbed both the armor and her proto-form of the remnants of her tryst with her mate. She giggled, _I have a mate! _Then sagged, _And can't tell anyone._

A quick dry, a few sprits of perfume, and fun bobbled necklace and back to the kitchen like nothing happened last night. Like forever entwining her spark with another.

Ever so quickly she dove into the work at hand. With it being the night after a county wide festival, there were lots of extra visitors in town and lots of extra customers. Perfect. Exactly what she needed. It keep her running nonstop all day and kept her distracted from the extra soft hum now residing within her spark chamber.

At moments in the day, she didn't think she would be able to take another step and prayed it would be over. And then she would look up at the chronometer and gasp at how time had passed.

Her sire came by late in the day, during the dinner rush. She saw him and three others of his station to a table the started to turn away. At the last moment she turned back and hugged him tightly and whispered into his audio, "I love you, Daddy," then pulls back and dashes away before she has to explain her actions.

After the meal was finished, but before he left, he leaned over the counter and grasped her chin lightly between a thumb and forefinger, "Sweetspark, is everything okay?" She knows that look. It's the same one he uses for interrogating a prisoner with warmness to it. "No one has threatened you, have they?"

She smiles and waves her spatula, "I'll just poison them if they do."

A slow smile spreads across his face. She isn't going to tell him what is really bothering her, but it must not be that bad or she would be shaking under his grip. "You do that." He pulls her chin forward and kisses her forehelm. "Call your creator."

She sighs tiredly, "Tomorrow. Tonight I just wanna die of exhaustion in my berth." The bell dings and six more orders are up, "See?"

He chuckles, "I'll warn her." He pulls back and waggles a finger at her, "That white mech from your kitchen the other day. He's trouble. Stay away from him." She bites her lower lip. "I mean it. If you thought that ruffian on your doorstep was bad, that guy's got bounties on his head. Lots. Big ones. Mostly labeled DEAD. Got it?"

Meekly almost childlike she answers, "Yes, Daddy."

"That's my smart daughter. See you later." With that, he and his team leave. Narc sags against the counter and cringes.

"Narc! I worked hard on those! Serve 'em hot or cook'm yourself." Her head cook snarks back. One of the few employees who can talk to her like that because he also respects her twice as much as he snarks. She jumps to work.

That night, she didn't even bother taking the armor off. After locking all the doors and windows, she dragged her peds up the back steps and fell face down onto her padded berth. One more sigh, and she was out like a light.

~~00~~

Perceptor and Drift completed their mission of cutting off the heads of certain mafia crime bosses and their lieutenants that were raiding Autobot supply chains and extorting nice homely planets. Literally cut them off. Then Drift saw Perceptor home and back to his family.

He was greeted with huge warm hugs from his nieces and handed them each a bag of sweeties. The rest he handed to Laroura for another time.

Laroura noticed Drift seemed a bit more reserved than normal. Perceptor seemed a bit miffed with Drift. Last time Perceptor was like this was when Drift messed with one of his experiments and he had to start all over again. Three months worth of work. What had Drift done this time?

"Staying for dinner, Drift?" He just shook his head, and thumbed back to his ship. A silent way of saying he was just going to bunk quietly within. "For the girls?"

Drift scows at her for pulling that stunt. That was just low. She knew he was brooding and yet used his love for them. Quietly he mutters to her while his servos are pulled towards the domicile by two pink & black terrors, "Sure you weren't a 'Con, Laroura?"

She puts a finger to her lips, "Vow of silence, my dear Ninjabot." She giggles. He groans.

Dinner was torture with Perceptor boring holes into his helm trying to get information out, Laroura examining his body language to decipher the meaning, the twins nonstop yapping, and the ring in his chest tingling and needing to be readjusted. NOW!

"Excuse me!" He shoved back from the table and dashed out of the dining room to the waste room. Slamming the door shut, he ripped the chest armor off and yanked the cord out. Looking down at it, there was nothing wrong. No infection, no pain… His back slid against the door as he sank to the floor and buried his face in his hands.

He dropped the barrier and let his spark cry out to hers. She didn't answer him, yet some how he knew why. Such a sense of peace he got from her. A dream like wonder.

_She's asleep. What I wouldn't give to know what she was dreaming about._

A knock at the door drew him away, "Drift, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just… give me a moment, okay?"

"Alright. Hey… I'm sorry?" Perceptor tries.

Drift chuckles, "Percy, it's not you. Just…"

"Right." Preceptor respects the need to be alone for a moment.

"Percy….," Drift tries softly. The peds don't move so he knows his friend is still back there. "Have… if… what if…. Frag," he finally vented.

"Open the door Drift," Perceptor 's tone is soft this time.

Drift hides away the physical evidence of his bonding and silently reattaches the chest armor. Then he opens the door. Percy comes into the small room and Drift relocks it. Drift takes his place back on the floor looking down to his peds toying with his hands. Perceptor takes the edge of the tub and watches him.

"What have you done?"

"I… I… I can't tell you." He feels ashamed for saying he can't tell his partner and dear friend. Godfather to his children. Perceptor says nothing respecting the private mech. Some how just sitting in the room together is a lot.

Drift turns to stand, "Laroura is going to kill me if I let her meal go cold."

A yellow marked hand grasps onto his white bicep halting the escape. Drift sinks back to the floor but the black bare hand with the yellow stripe around the wrist, over the back of the hand and twining around the ring finger bearing a vow in pink glyphs screams at him. Drift can't tear his gaze away.

"Do you love her?" The voice is near silent in the room.

The white helm with three daffodil yellow marks don't look up, "I-I have no idea how to answer that." Three drips from the faucet punctuate the silence. "What is love?"

"Oh Primus, you've got it bad, Drift." Percy sighs with relief almost laughing.

"You have no idea," he mutters rubbing his forehelm.

Yes Chapter 4 is in progress


	4. duties and diners

**Prime Blood: Drift'n Away Chapter 4**

_**Sparklink **__Internal thoughts _/comlink/

"Who is he?" The voice comes from the chair beside her berth.

Narc's head is so groggy from the long and strange stasis-dreams that it takes her a few moments to roll her head to the side and stare at her head waitress, Fila.

"Mn?"

Fila leans in, "Who is it this time?"

Narc pulls the blanket over her head. The warm sensation behind her spark seems to hum back _**Good morning. **_Narc _sends _back a warm reply while her throat hums a satisfied moan.

The blue femme yanks the fabric back. "Narc, your sire was at my place near all night giving me the third degree about the bloody mech on the doorstep and then the Ninja in the kitchen. I couldn't find you that night and last night you didn't answer my call. I came first thing this morning and find you still aren't out of berth. So out with it!"

Narc yanks up and looks to her chronometer, "Scrap!" She tries to leap out of the bed, but Fila slaps two hands on her shoulders planting her back to sitting on the berth.

"Not happening, femme. Coco has the kitchen and it will do Wrongway some good to handle the main floor for a few moments. Now, who has worn you out? Normally it's you who wears them out."

Narc shutters remembering she had had past consorts. Obviously never _full _consorts, but there were numerous ways to bring pleasurable overloads without the full contact. A warm smile spreads across her face. _And now I have a whole new appreciation for bonding._

"Narc? Hello, Rousan to Narc. Come in Narc."

Narc pushes the hands off her shoulders, "I've got a business to run. Back off."

Fila can't help but throw one more out as the green femme disappears into her wash room, "So, did you ring him?" The footsteps stop. "YOU DIDN'T!"

Instead Narc closes the door softly and turns the water on as hot as possible.

_**I have to see you. I'm going insane. Please, come to me.**_ She tries with all her might to _send_ to him.

It's strangled and weak but it comes back, _**I want to so bad, but I can't. Not right now.**_

Narc vents hard and presses her forehelm to the tiled wall, _**Will… will I ever see you again? Was I a -**_

The force that comes back surrounds her spark and holds it tight, _**I will return to you. I belong to no one but you. And you are no other's but mine. Rest secured in that thought. Please, my love, have faith in us.**_

_**You have faith in us? **_She sends back the wary concern.

_**I had my doubts that you will still want me. But I have no doubts that I want you.**_

Her sigh of relief is felt through the stretching link. _**Feel my love Drift.**_

_**I do. Take mine in return.**_ The nice thing about a bondlink, words are not needed. Pulses of emotion can do so much more. For the moment that was all that was needed.

All too soon, they both knew they had to retreat back into the real world and duties. The distance was felt drawing them further and further apart. And so she did, shutting off the water. And so he did taking Percy back to his family.

~~00~~

Drift some how managed to not finish the conversation with Perceptor, kiss the girls and escape back to _Speck. _Laying in the berth still smelling of her perfume and scents of them mixed together only made him _send _to her. The distance was too far, only silence responded. He could still feel her signature within his own spark beat. Releasing a few clamps to his armor, he slipped his hand over his bare underarmor and over his spark. He knew he had to get some rest. He would have to face Prime and the rest of the supply team letting them know they have been compromised. Not good. Prime was going to be mad. Ultra Magnus, furious. Maybe he would stand behind Perceptor this round. A smile graced his lips and he slipped under blankets wrapping his mate's scent around his body and letting her pulse surround his spark.

~~~~000~~~

The meeting went as badly as he figured. Magnus' hammer made a new hole in his office wall. Even Prime at the other end of the vid-link flinched. Perceptor jumped back and onto Drift's ped. The Ninja caught him, clamping onto his arms a bit tighter than normal in his own flinch. Springer shuttered, but didn't move. Roadbuster reflectively threw an elbow up to his face from expected falling debris. Magnus continued to fume.

Prime spoke up instead, "I have Sideswipe and Sunstreaker along with Tailpipe and Cliffjumper out looking for new suppliers. I want everyone else keeping their audios open while on personal leave. Anything we hear could be helpful. Magnus," he tried to get his seething General's attention. The tone dropped to one Magnus rarely heard, breaking through his black mood. "Ultra Magnus, this isn't the first time and it won't be the last. Please."

Slowly the blue helm with the seething optics face his Commander. Optimus smiled to him, "We needed a challenge and the quality was beginning to degrade any way."

"Not funny Optimus." Magnus snaps back.

Optimus' expression instantly changes to seriousness, "I wasn't being funny. The standards and quality alone was enough to destroy our army. It was only a matter of time before someone seriously got hurt or sick. You know that as well as I."

Magnus nods his head slowly, "Yes, I have been down this road before and lived the dire results." His large frame shutters remembering the soldiers he lost to poisoned supplies.

Perceptor steps forward, "Sirs, the planet?" The two commanders know Perceptor is worried for his family sequestered on the secret refugee planet.

Prime is very soft, "I know… I know… We best get looking."

Drift lifts his head to his Prime. The Supreme Commander and leader of their dying race is very worried. Softly Drift speaks up, "I best get moving. Percy, do you want to go home?" He shakes his head. "I have an idea where to drop you off while I try a different path." He nods curtly to the commanders excusing himself. Magnus normally would scowl at the lack of decorum from the ex-Con, but there was a swiftness to the white retreating mech. Like he was moving in haste of a mission. That! The General could respect.

~~00~~~

Silently Drift and Perceptor boarded _Speck. _Neither needed to say anything, too deep in their own thoughts. It has been a dream, a lost hope, for all Transformers to procreate. The refugee planet was their last hope of ever reseeding Cybertron after the war was over… if it ever ended. Yet it was even more than that. Mercy and Autoclave were Perceptor's own heritage. Drift steered _Speck _out of the solar system glancing at Perceptor for a moment. He was doing it again.

When Perceptor got into a nervous fit of angst near fritzing status, he would pull out a data pad and run calculations. Over and over again. Drift shook his head, it still staggered his processor that that was calming to his partner.

Drift wished he was in a quiet place where he could just curl the Great Sword over and through the air over and over again in their ballet of graceful movements. The dance of skill and harmony Wing had taught him. It always brought him comfort to feel his old mentor's warmth on the hilt guiding him through this dance called life. The white mech vented heavily.

The sound of hot breath lifted Perceptor's helm from the data pad of formulas, "Drift, are you alright?" Drift said nothing. "We still haven't finished that other conversation."

"And we won't." Drift muttered.

"You are kidding, right?" Perceptor actually put the pad down.

Drift turned a stoic face to his friend, "Do I look like I'm kidding?"

"That's not fair. I spilled my spark to you about Laroura when you pestered and pushed."

The expression changed as Drift clutched the controls tighter and he leaned in with hurt and angst to Perceptor, "That's because she was lucky to have a mech like you love her. Honorable, smart, beloved by all the Autobots-"

"Drift-!" Perceptor was clearly shocked by the white mech degrading himself.

"Look at me Percy!" Percy instantly became silent. "Really look at me! Who am I? Pit I don't even know half the time! I'm a mess! I'm still trying to figure myself out. What do I have to offer a relationship?" He yanked the controls hard and pounded the space bridge relay buttons even harder. "Just don't, alright? Don't placate me. Just let me figure this out for myself. Please." He looks over to Preceptor sagging in defeat.

Drift returns his focus to the controls with the space bridge beginning to open.

"Drift," Perceptor's voice is full of respect, "You know I'm always here, right?"

Drift clenches his jaw trying not to let any emotion show, "I know." It pained him that he wasn't ready to tell his partner and best friend about his spark mate. For as much as he sent support and encouragement to Narc, he wasn't so sure himself. _Speck _bursts through the gate ending the conversation.

{back to present} Drift walks the narrow beam of the weapons & training range ceiling. Deftly, he retrieves his shoulder plate. Sinking to straddle the beam, those emotions rattle him once again. _She doesn't deserve me. I haven't been the mate she needed and is fit for. _He snaps on the shoulder plate and just rest for a moment, _And now a son? Why Primus? What do you see in me to grant me such gifts as dear friends, devoted mate to whom I have hurt deeply and now a son I can not afford to fail? _He could feel the moisture building up behind his optics as the question build up behind their bond.

The door burst open and group of rowdy young mechs lead by a skilled officer enter the room. Drift looks himself over. He has all his armor but now for his weapons. Cute. She must have been more pissed than he already imagined. Five walls to the training center. Three had his swords impaled on them. One low enough he only had to jump for it from the floor. The second, he was going to need that trampoline. Now the Great Sword. He heaved a heavy breath for that one. With her spark having a bit of his, the Great Sword must have allowed her to handle it. It also must have felt her anger and assisted it with it's destination. Nigh a few feet from the ceiling but out of arms reach of a ceiling beam strut, it stuck straight out. He sneered at the beloved sword. "You and me are going to have a little talk," he spoke warmly to the sword. It didn't answer but almost seemed to mock him from it's resting place.

"Hey Ninjabot! What'cha doing up there? And what's with the redecoration?" One recruit teased. Drift chose to ignore him. Instead, Drift accessed his advantages.

Taking a deep breath and a last prayer to Primus, he pushed his ped toes off the beam he rested on flying towards the beam closest to the Great Sword. Catching it with his finger tips, curled his body into a ball extending his flight towards the wall. Reaching out at the last moment, latched onto the hilt with both hands. His downward weight was enough to tilt the Great Sword to a downward angel, but not dislodge it, _Of course! _He curse. So there he was dangling well above the floor grasping onto the hilt of the sword everyone know obeys only him, yet it wasn't listening right now.

"What kind of a move was that?" One recruit asks another.

"Ninja on a wall. It's like art," he sniggers.

Furious, Drift had had enough. Bad enough being drugged by his best friend, shackled and bound by his mate, humiliated by his own weapons, but to be ridiculed by trainees? With a roar, he swung his peds up, slamming/pushing their flats against the wall. It was just enough to dislodge the point from the wall and down they both fell. Drift managed to curl himself and get his knees bent for the landing. Shoving the sword into it's scabbard, he ran, snatched the lower sword, sheathed it and then hit the trampoline with a curl, snagging the other and sheathing it as well upon landing. Without a word to anyone, he exited the range looking cool and composed. It was a good act, for he was anything but.

Down the metal hallway he strode on silent but angry peds. He knew he had to get calm before he faced Narc and his son. It would not due for the infant's first impression of his sire to be dark ugly feelings reverberating between his parents.

Instead, stepping outside into the warm sun, he curled his mind back to their first reunion… {flashback}

Drift dropped Perceptor off at one of the planets he and Wheeljack normally got specialized science equipment. Nerd like that would be less likely to steer them wrong. Well, there was the occasional mad scientist they could run across. Hopefully not today.

Swiftly, Drift made a round about way back to Rousan. Careful to park _Speck, _someplace neither law enforcement nor crime syndicate would look, he made his way back to the diner. It was locked up tight. The sign in the window read:

**Closed in honor of our annual Law Enforcement Ball in honor and tribute to our fallen protectors. Come join us!**

Oh yeah, that sounded just like the place he wanted to walk into. Maybe if he wanted to find his own weapons sticking out of his own chest.

No, he decided to be sneaky instead. _**Hey, **_he pulsed down their bondlink_**.**_

Narc was dancing with her sire when something hot pulsed into her spark, _**Hey.**_ The last time she felt anything that strong, she was laying naked with her mate. MATE!

_**Where-where are you? **_She stumbled over the Chief Enforcer's peds.

"Narc, are you alright?" He holds her upright.

"Ye-yeah, fine Daddy. Just a twisted ankle today. I might sit this one out." He helps her to a chair and she waves him off to her mother. Laying her head back so it touches the wall, she closes her optics, _**Drift?**_

The things he sends back sends her face flushing and her spark increasing. _**Come to me.**_

She smiles back, _**I'm not coming because you order me. You don't own me like that.**_

He laughs through the link. _**What will make you come to me?**_

She doesn't have time to answer. The vice-chief with his sly greasy ways slides into the chair beside her and lifts her ankle into his lap, dangerously close to his hot _tank _and a leering look on his face. "Chief said to look after you."

She shutters and catches a glance to her sire. He's no help. He only has optics for her mother. Her frustration drops instantly seeing her parents so much in love. How badly she wants that… she can feel the warmth in her spark from her own estranged mate. She has it, if she lets it flourish and they can find a way.

The mech beside her places a hand in an inappropriate place on her thigh, "Come on Narc, you know you want me. Every femme does."

A growl comes from her throat, but she is sure it wasn't from her. Oh-no, Drift knew- "I gotta go!" She leaps off the chair and heads out the door.

Slick is right behind her catching her upper arm, "Hey, not so fast! Let me at least see you home. You know, it's not safe at night."

She jerks her arm away, "Most certainly from you! Let me go!" He tries several more times to catch her arm as she makes her way to her restaurant a few blocks away. Over and over again she shoves him away. But he is becoming near abusive leaving scratches and tears to her very light weight formal armor. Only a few more feet to her private entrance and he reallygrabs her hard making her fall. She lashes out by kicking him in the _tank. _Highly sensitive part of a mech's body. He clutches it but still reaches out with the other hand, "I said, NO!" She bellows.

A snarl comes from him and he pounces clawing at her armor. Another mechly snarl comes from around the corner. While Slick jerks his head up in surprise, Narc whips the dagger from her boot cuff and jabs it into the soft part of his throat (the only vital area she could reach with his arms around her neck). She jabs deeper drawing a bit of blood, he yelps. But the second mechly voice tones a deep dark warning from the shadows, "I believe the femme said no. As an officer of the law, you know your actions could be considered criminal. True?"

Slick doesn't move, "Show yourself!"

The mysterious tone steps out of the dark making only a silhouette image available. But it is an image of a deadly warrior with a huge glowing sword in his hand held far enough away as not to illuminate himself, "I suggest you apologize to the femme and go home. Alone."

Slick tries to back up, but it only drags the blade across his neck drawing more blood, "Sorry Narc," he chokes out.

"Now I suggest you let go of her neck before she digs that blade in deeper. It's sharp enough to remove rings." The shadow reminds the officer of Narc's last assault on a dangerous mech.

In a flash, he leaps back and away from her. "The rumors were true?"

Slowly Narc stands up and flicks the blade motioning for him to leave. The officer does in a flash. Turning she twirls the dagger and tells the shadow who pulses a mixture of emotions into their link, "Don't you dare treat me like a helpless femme."

He sheaths the glowing sword onto his back and steps closer, "Don't think of telling me I can't be afraid for your safety." Three more steps and their arms are around each other. Sighing in the warmth and comfort of each other sparks so close again trying to forget what just happened.

He bows his head and presses his mouth to her audio receiver, "Hey there."

She nuzzles her face into him, "Hey."

Then his chest rumbles in amusement, "Got anything to eat? I'm starved."

She teases him back by running a hand over her lover's aft, "Got any credits?"

This time his lips graze tantalizingly over the soft part of her neck, "I've got something far far better than credits."

She turns her head to meet his lips, "Show me."

Capturing her mouth, he gives her no chance to dominate. Her other palm curls around the nape inviting him to be the dominator. A moan of pure desire slides off his tongue to light her own reply. He lifts his mouth to turn and take it again pushing harder, bending her over his wrist against her lower back.

_**I will take you here and now if you don't get that door open.**_

_**Maybe that's just what I want.**_

Another moan escapes him and threatens to do just that with a hand trailing over her own graceful aft, cupping and curling it tighter to his pelvis. She can feel the heat within his _tank _against her thinly clad bellyand hears the slightest sound of the aroused pump kick on.

_**You do not want to tempt me…. **_he warns.

_**You do not want to tease me…**_ she promises.

He lifts her. She clamps her legs around his lithe hips, under the thin swords, but encompassing the broad sword as well. He grunts at her slam. She giggles. He moves.

Pressing her back to the alley wall, grates his chest against her thinly covered one. The light metal shreds against the cravings of the heavy one. With one hand, he keeps her aft cupped against him, while the other tears the damaged covering away. Her naked mounds begin to heave at his touch. Yanking his head back, he casts a warm and hungry look to her beautiful body.

"Mine…" he hisses.

Her fingers fumble and struggle to find the catches of his armor. But it isn't easy. This was no standard armor. It was battle grade. Instead he _sends _her instructions and she swiftly follows ripping only the chest piece aside.

"Are you sure you want to do this here? I can wait, but not much longer." Her optics are just as wide staring at his broad and sexy chest. The head to his _cord _already pushing it's way forward.

She was ready to say yes, when her private com pinged. He heard it too. They both groaned. "Yes Daddy."

/Slick said you were accosted in the alley way of your shop./

"Did he mention it was him?" She looks up to her mate smiling. Lovingly proud he beams a smile back.

/What?/ he gasps back.

"Daddy, I really need to go. A friend of mine is here and we have some catching up to do."

/Was it the dark shadow in the alley?/ he warns.

Narc frames the white helm before her with sunshine yellow spots of brightness, "Nope, no dark shadows here. Nothing but pure brilliance."

"Naaaaaarc…" her sire warns.

"Love you too Daddy. Thanks for making sure I'm okay, but I really am. I'll catch you tomorrow. Just give Mom one more turn around the floor." Drift cocks a curious cant to his head. Narc lets her fingers trail ever so softly on his bare cheek, "You have a match worthy of a fairytale story."

Drift's face falls at what she is saying and leans forward to press his forehelm to hers. _**I'm sorry.**_

"Good night Daddy," her voice cracks and she cuts the line.

"Don't… please don't Drift." She wriggles against his apology and he finally lets her stand, with his head still bowed. Swiftly she keys in the code and the door releases. A lazy servo picks up his chest panel. Taking his hand, she drags him inside and resecures the door. He waits for her next move. She makes a quick turn through the kitchen and comes back to his side with a basket of goodies held against her chest. Opening the door to the staircase of her private loft, she gives him a shove in the center of his back to go up first while she shuts the door.

At the top of the staircase, he finds another door. He has no choice but to open it and step into the small apartment/loft. An open space floor plan with only one door (waste/wash room). A desk cluttered with color coded data pads, an armoire open and looks like a hurricane went through it, a berth nestled into a corner, and a window box seat showing signs of it being her favorite place, a dressing table with an ancient jewelry box, chipped mirror, and an actual pad of paper and pen.

While he surveyed the room, she quickly discarded the rest of her ruined dress armor and pulled on a soft fabric robe. Then Narc took a recently delivered box over to the window seat and set her basket down. She plunked herself down and pulled out the bottle of vintage high-grade. "Drift?"

He stops looking around the room and focuses on her. She pats the seat beside her.

He shakes his head, "Windows are not my friend." Instead he takes her desk chair and puts it in a vantage point out of shot of the window. "I should not be seen with you," he drops his head.

"I'm not ashamed of you," she hands over a glass of the vintage.

He takes it, not releasing her hand, "You have enough trouble on your own, you don't need mine added in."

To this she comes to stand before him, "I've fought off danger from the very beginning of my life. Someone tried to kidnap me as a sparkling from my parents home. In grade school I was the target of bullies. They expected me to go crying to my daddy. Instead, they learned why my dad was Chief." Drift took a sip and locked his attention to her story, "I got the scrap beat out of me a few times. I'm not going to lie, I picked a few of those fights myself. Nine times out of ten, I lost those ones." She giggled. Then she stepped closer and leans in, "When they came after me, I sent them packing with my ped up their aft." She settles herself in his lap, one leg on each side of his hips, draping her wrists over his shoulders, "I'm not an idiot. I get scared. I know I make some dumb moves. I piss off the wrong people." She waves a glass filled hand to the ceiling, "This is my third building."

Now his optic brows raise sharply. She downs her drink returning to smirk at him, "By the way, thanks for killing those guys. They torched my last building, hence the loan my mother mentioned." Drift downs his drink as well. "More?" He nods stunned by what he just heard.

_Who have I gotten myself involved with?_

"I heard that, love." She sniggers back refilling both their glasses. He flushes. She turns and saunters back to him. The sway of her hips while alone in her home… Completely relaxed, completely herself… He didn't realize he was _sending _again. By the look on her face, he knew she could read him. Perfectly. She liked what she read.

She hands him the glass keeping her optics locked on him with her own desiring want _sending_. She doesn't let go when he reaches to take it, "We need to talk."

He shakes his head to get it serious and away from his physical wants. "Yeah, I know." Now she releases the glass. She moves back to her window seat to give them distance and a chance to have a conversation. Also a chance for him to watch her move again.

He takes a huge gulp of the drink beginning to feel it's effects. She nudges the basket towards him. Peeking in, he pulls out a couple pieces of "cheese & crackers". It will slow down the effects of the high-grade. He really was hungry after all.

"So, what are we going to do?" She picks her own snack out. With his mouth occupied he just stares so she continues, "I know there's a lot you can't say, and I don't want to know because I will just worry about you as well." He smiles at her poke of him being worried about her. "Goes both ways, love."

What could he say? He just nods. It killed him to show up on Perceptor's doorstep and take him from his mate and daughters to go draw blood. Drift lowers his head and rubs his brow. It's not like Chromia and Ironhide who feed and pulsed each other through battles. It wasn't like Inferno and Firestar who are 100% calm and peaceful in the mist of towering flames that melt armor while reaching in to pull the injured and dead out. No, he had chosen a shop owner. Who only has to worry about her next order of-

His head jerked up instantly, "Narc, I need your help."

She choked on her drink, "I'm sorry. What did you just say?"

He toyed with another cube of nourishment, "One of the bases has run into a supply issue." Her optic narrow and her mouth went 0.… He smiles seeing that she just put it together quickly. Oh yes, his spark would never lead him to a helium headed aluminum framed bim-bot. So he continues, "When do you make your next supply run? I know that some off your recipes include off world ingredients." He waves a hand through the air, "I noticed while trying to calm Wrongway down."

She leans in and smiles, "Your timing happens to be quite good."

He leans in as well, surprised, "Really?"

A finger reaches out and traces a scar on his chest, "Tomorrow afternoon I'm headed off world to a convention for restaurant owners. Suppliers from all over the place are supposed to be there." She leans her face mere inches from his, "I could use and escort. My staff is a bit worried about me going alone and I would rather not go with Slick." A deep throated growl comes from Drift at the thought.

The fingers slip up his naked chest and over his armored shoulders drawing her body closer to him again. The light fabric of the robe parts as she settles herself in his lap once more. Drift downs the last of the drink and lets the glass softly clatter to the floor slipping his own palms under the fabric, starting at the thigh, over her naked aft, continuing up her bare back.

"When are you leaving?"

She begins the devastating kisses up his neck, "_Late _afternoon. I get to sleep in tomorrow morning. Fila is running the shop."

Bringing one palm around her tender side, he loosens the robe tie giving him access to her whole naked front, "All night and most of the morning? And how long is this conference?"

She nips his neck, "As long as you like."

He chuckles, "I have to relay the information back to my CO, so not that long."

Her very soft finger tip grazes the _cord slit, _"**Long **enough." He chuckles at the innuendo and moans into the tantalizing caresses. With that he lifts her to her berth.

More coming….


	5. son rises and sun sets

**Prime Blood: Drift'n Away Chapter 5**

{present again} _How could it have gone so wrong? Damn ! I only wanted what was best. I was just trying to protect her! Not just her but everyone! I have to get her to understand that but she is just so… stubborn!_

Drift made his way across the soft green park where sparklings and their parents enjoyed the warm safe sun. Where the avian creatures chirped and swooped in glee. Where the petro-rabbits and turbo-foxes played…

He huffed in frustration. He fought and bled for their safety. His mate KNEW that and yet she just didn't understand now? Lifting his head he saw the strip of businesses curving the edge of the park. One sold attire for the sparklings, another bobbles and such frivolous attire, one sold Energon goodies. It was the business on the end that had his full attention with it's outdoor café. It also had a little platform where karaoke was performed on late weekend evenings. Sometimes it had rare mid-day events. This must be one of them.

As the music pulsed, he came closer hoping to find the busy business owner and pull her aside for a private conversation. He send her a warning of his intentions. As he got closer, he recognized the Earth tune with it's intoxicating beat. And then his spark stilled as the femme singing it with full emotion locked her optics on his. She instantly stopped swaying to the beat. Instead she stepped down, stomping towards him swaying hips with the beat, stabbing his spark with each line of the song.

_In the day, in the night, say it right, say it all _

_either you got or you don't either you stand or you fall_

_When your will is broken, when it slips from my hands_

_When there's no time for joking there's a hole in my hand_

_Oh ho, You don't mean noth'n at all to me No! you don't mean noth'n at all to me_

_No you don't have what it take to stand with me Oh you couldn't mean anything to me_

_Oh I could say I'm not lost in a fog_

_I could pretend that I don't like a light in the dark_

_I could say that I don't know that I'm alive_

_And I love what it feels I show you in the night_

_Oh ho, You don't mean noth'n at all to me No! you don't mean noth'n at all to me_

_No you don't have what it take to stand with me Oh you couldn't mean anything to me_

_I could give you something of me_

_At the mourning I can sing you another brick that I made_

_With my body I could show you a place that I can know_

_And there's no space for holding do you really want to go?_

The song ended. Their gazes were locked. She could feel his tears and ripped tears in their bond. She could feel she had just tore his spark to shreds.

He could feel a tingle of her regret that just maybe she had gone just a little too far. Drift stepped back from the low wrought iron railing trimming the café patio and his hidden position beside one of the high hedges.

_**Wait…**_ it was a whisper she sent him.

He shook his head, _**No, you have a point. I got it clearly. We were a mistake. I am sorry I have curse you. **_And he took two more steps back. **Both.**

She turned her head aside, _**Drift, I thought you didn't want me or us any more.**_

He noticed she was looking at something. He turned his head to follow her line of sight. Laroura was holding an infant in her arms talking softly to it. Narc took the few steps forward as everyone tried to see why the hedge held her attention. Narc took the infant from her friend's arms cuddling it lovingly. From across the patio, Drift saw the little one's colors and tender helm as the soft blanket fell off it's sleeping face. Sunshine yellow with stripes of green and three white accents on the helm. His spark surged at the sight of his son. Not more than a first moon cycle old. He stepped back quickly. And then fled.

Narc gathered the infant close and turned to show the sire their creation. There was a wall to their bondlink and the railing was vacant. Only the sight of tree branches movements in the park where the Ninja had brushed through in his retreat.

_**DRIIIIIIIIFTTTT! **_She bellowed, screamed with everything she had into their bond. She could feel it bend but not penetrate. He was well trained and held the shaking wall. The infant wailed feeling his mother's anguish. The wail alone pierced through their bondlink down to the sire's own spark stabbing him harshly.

~~~00~~~

Drift ran as fast as he could to the hillside rocky out cropping. Panting heavily from trying to holding the shield mixed with the flight and the last few hours of everything, he finally made it. The infant's wail ran tandem to his mate's. He was powerless to sooth the infant back, due to their lack of complete bond. It drove his guilt even further to leave Narc to ease the little one's pain that the sire had instigated.

The silent warrior sank to his knees and bowed his head to the ground shaking and sobbing. "I did everything right and yet nothing I did was right." His fists pounded the ground never lifting his head. The shield was going to shatter very soon and he was sure, he would not be able to bring it back. His son would feel all his mother's emotions and fret for this unknown third spark in their bond.

Drift isn't sure how long he curled there fussing and pounding and praying and…

"So, ready to talk yet?" Perceptor sat on the rock directly next to Drift's head.

Drift doesn't lift his head, "Why should I? You already know everything."

Perceptor chuckles lightly, "Apparently not if Laroura is telling me I better drug you and bring you home no matter what you say."

Drift lifts his head, "She ordered you?"

Perceptor looks out over the valley from his rocky perch, "When your mate pulses you that hard with that much intensity, it's best not to ask why and just do it." Now he turns his head, "True?"

Drift lowers his head back down, "I'm not talking to you."

"Are you going to talk to her?"

"And what the Pit do you recommend I say?"

Perceptor grabs the white helm by the top protrusion yanking the head back to look into his fierce gaze, "How about 'I'm sorry' you aft-head!"

Drift snaps back, "I'm NOT!" Perceptor releases the helm and shakes his own in disgust. Drift rolls back to an upright position with his knees on the ground, ped tops flat to the ground, back straight upright, fists clenched tight and firmly planted on his thighs.

"Do you know what I had to do?" Perceptor keeps his head turned away from Drift still angry. "Well let me tell you, mister Smarty Aft who thinks they have all the answers. You tell me how to leave her a note or look your own mate in the optic when you have to kill…"

Perceptor turns his head back ready to snap at Drift about it just being another mission. But he sees that wasn't a period at the end of his sentence. It was him taking a moment to gather his thoughts and pull up his wavering bond shield. "That's right Perceptor, you tell me how you will look into your beloved -the other half of your own existence- and tell her you have to kill her very own-"

Perceptor's optics went wide with shock and pain for the couple and the devastating revelation. Silence was the sniper's response.

"Yeah, and see where that response got me?" Drift couldn't help but snark back. Perceptor dropped his head. What could he say?

~~00~~

Narc watched the tree branches settle back down knowing Drift had seen their son and bolted. No one said a word. For them it was very odd to see their confident and fun café owner belting out such a harshly worded song and directed to a hedge.

Laroura came to Narc's side, "Hey, he was getting fussy before, why don't you take him inside. I've got this."

Narc looked around and saw everyone staring at her as she tried to sooth the infant on her shoulder. "Heh, even my singing scares my son." There was a nervous laughter from the ten or so others on the patio. Slowly, Narc left the room and heads upstairs to her loft apartment.

Upstairs, she laid down on her berth nestled within the box window. Curling her body around her son, she nuzzled and caresses him sending him all her love. She knew she had to send him more comfort to over come her own unsettling emotions. The last thing she wanted was for her son to fear his sire.

So what was a good memory she could draw on to calm herself and warm her spark back up to Drift. _Oh yes…. {flashback…}_

_~~~00~~~~_

Making love with Drift was body-tingling and emotionally exhausting. Sleeping in his arms renewed all that and then more. And that was how she found herself the next morning after the ball.

Narc was wedged between the wall and her mate's warm body with a warm comforter tangled around them both. Even as mellowed and deeply entranced as she was, the sound of footsteps on her private staircase drew her awake instantly.

Struggling, she got out of the comforter and Drift's grip. She swiftly threw the robe over her body and just made it to the door in time for it to open, "Mother!"

The older femme pushed her head through the cracked door. And there, she saw it with her own optics, a snow white naked mech's broad back, face turned to the wall, coverings over his hips and legs sound asleep.

Narc flushed and pushed her mother back down the stairs a couple steps, "Yes Mother, I had a mech friend here last night."

"Have you bonded yet?"

"Pft! Yeah right!" she lied, "What do you take me for?"

Her mother sighs heavily, "Narc, you really must settle down-"

"Mother you didn't come over to start this argument again. Why are you here?"

Her mother actually looked nervous. No it was more than that, afraid, but hidden well. "Your sire was worried about the conversation last night. He figured you were more likely to talk to me rather than him."

"Truth?" Her mother nods. "Slick tried to accost me. Well he did, in fact. I managed to stave him off with the help of my friend from the shadows." Her mother juts her attention back to the closed door. "Yes, him." Her mother frowns. "Mother, please… He's good to me. He's unlike any mech I've ever met before."

"Yet not good enough for me to meet?" The older femme scowls.

"Maybe some day. But you know how judgmental and interrogative Daddy gets. I've lost a lot of other good opportunities because of his protectiveness."

Her mother tries to ease the situation, "You know there has been a lot of trouble recently. With the fires and such, he's just trying to-"

"Protect me, yeah I know." She rolls her optics. "I can handle myself. I've lost the buildings, but not my life and no one has been hurt-"

"Yet!" She counters.

Narc throws her hands up, "I'm not doing this again! You saw me, I'm fine. Relay that to the Chief." With that she turns back up the stairs.

"Still headed to the conference?"

"Yes Mother," her tone drolls. Then finishes, "No, you may not come and no, I don't need an escort." She finishes by placing a hand on her door , "I love you both Mother, please try not to worry so much."

"You are all we have."

"No, you have each other," with that, she disappears into the loft locking the door behind her.

There in the few streams of morning light is her sleeping mate. She can't help but just look at him as she sits on the edge of the berth. The under armor maybe snow white, but there were definitely signs of healed wounds. Some were pretty deep. A series of very nasty ones along his lower back. Pulling the covering away, she sees they extend over his hips and upper thighs. The mech rolls onto his back with a mutter in his sleep. Now she can see the wounds continue around the front of his pelvic region. Her hands trail across them caressing and worrying for him.

A white palm comes over hers, "Hey," his voice is raspy from a deeply needed rest. She can't even answer this time. Tears brim her optics as she looks up to his face with still closed optics. He already knows how she is feeling and rather than respond verbally, just her rubs her palm warmly.

Then he feels the tear drop. His palm closes over hers, tugs it up to his spark. It draws her to come snuggle to his side. Curling her head against his shoulder. He pulses through their bond for permission to dig deeper. Nodding, he readjusts releasing his spark to her. Her own is a bit slower, but comes to him.

_**He can see her sorrow for the damage done to his lower half. He reminds her that the scars of new hips and legs are reasons for him to celebrate not to sorrow. It was because of that heavy damage and recovery that he was no longer Dreadlock but Drift. It was because of that, he was who he is today. Hers…**_

_**Feeling her peace in that knowledge, eased him a bit more. She released the conversation with her mother. Drift felt bad that she couldn't reveal her happiness to her parents or his promise to protect her.**_

Narc tried to yank out of the merge, but Drift dug his spark tendrils in tighter drilling in his explanation.

_**I didn't say you couldn't take care of yourself. You are far far stronger than many I have met, I just have this side of me to protect anything that is mine. For I have had nothing of my own for so long. And you… are my everything…**_

She relaxed and let his tendrils envelope and cuddle her spark into his. He wasn't being greedy or possessive, it wasn't like that at all. It was that their spark bond was a precious gift he never ever imagined he would ever have and he would die to keep it pure and safe. He would not loose himself again. And now, she was a part of him. _**Forever.**_

_**Forever, **_she whispered back. They took a few more moments to dig through some more comforting memories and bringing each other happiness from their lives. Drift had few, but more that willing to let her dominate this merging and wealth of healthy memories. He bathed, and soaked in her happy times. Even laughing out loud.

~~~00~~~

The sparks couldn't hold it together any longer. It was like the shaking in laughter had rattled the connection loose. Like turbulence to an old ship. Yet in this case, the two were laughing in each other's arms tears falling from both of them.

Narc stretches her self across the length of his body, resting her chin on crossed arms over his chest, "And then…?"

He taps her nose with a single white fingertip, "Let's just say, the Great Optimus Prime, is forbidden from ever playing with a sling shot again. Especially inside the rec-room."

Narc's body shook and rumbled with laughter so hard that she began snorting. Drift's looped arms over her waist, shifted to cup a thigh and her center back to keep her from falling off his body in her giggle fit, with his own deep rumbling fueled by her snorts.

"Oh, my vents hurt, Drift. Please, no more, I beg of you." He smiled in proud triumph, lifting his head to peck her nose.

"Ah, but I am a master of other evil tortures," he shot her a devious smile. Narc shoved aside the reality of the statement an instead shoots him a look of disbelief. The devious blue optics narrow on the white mech, "Oh ho, wrong answer, my love." Without a second thought, he rolls, pinning her and his arms beneath their weight.

"Well smarty, you pinned your own arms. Now what?" she teases with a nervous touch.

The responding tone was deep and full of promise in a husky breath, "I do not need them." He brings his head down swiftly. She expected a fierce dominating kiss, what she got was the tip of his tongue on the very edge of her audio receiver. "I shall take you one nano-meter at a time until you cry my name begging me to take you wholly." A whimper escapes her throat, "You said you were strong and can take care of your self. You do not need me? I shall prove you wrong."

"D-Drift… I can-can hold out longer than, AH!-" he licked again, "I am no -" Her rant ceased. His lips nibbled their way down one delicate line in her neck. The circles he drew on her shoulder, made her hips arch, but not a sound. Every now and then, he would glance up to check her reaction. In retaliation, she shove and push him back in their bond. He would laugh when a moment later, she was slamming into him on the cusp of begging.

Eventually he made his way to her port slit. Lubricants were already pushed to the surface. He smiled.

"I-I haven't given in." she pants.

"Yet," he promises. Her whimper eeps out again. He chuckles. The tongue tip touches one dew drop on the lip and her mewl is desperate, yet her head his shaking violently, angry with herself.

"You-you will never get me to beg. I shall not-not, oh Primus NO-" her body arches into his tongue ever so slowly pressing through the lips. "NOooooo!" The tongue is in as deep as it can with the oral lips suckling the port ones, "Ohhhh, Drift, yes…" her body sags. He chuckles. She slaps him on the back of his helm, "That's not a plea. Just a compliment."

_**Well on my way to making you cry out for more. **_

She pants, "Never!"

He lifts back showing her his fully extended glowing hard cord. With a slow palm, strokes it. "No-no hands." She reminds him.

He cants his helm, "Oh, not even on myself?"

"You-you made the rules." She's loosing this bet fast.

He smiles, "Fine then." He lifts himself fully off the berth. She rolls to her panting side watching him.

Normally this would be a technique he would use for focus and centering, to calm himself. And he could use a bit of this right now as well, more than ready to take his mate and leave her howling for more. But he had heard a few femmes whispering about how attractive it was to watch him move in practice.

He stretched down and pulled the Great Sword from it's sheath. Wrist over wrist , spun the sword making it look like a prop on a aircraft. The sunlight glanced off the sharp simmering blade casting sparkles across the room.

Instant stop, point down. Then pointing one ped toe, let it slide across the floor showing his strong thigh in a lunge stretch. On and on he moved through his warm up routine showing every muscled cable in his body. Catching a glance to her, yeah, she was gone. There was actual droll on the corner of her mouth. His smile beamed. To push her over the edge, he rests the center of his splayed palm on the sword hilt tip (sharp tip to the floor), firm legs splayed on each side of the sharp blade. Closing his optics, he leans back, bending the lower back. The fully engorged glowing yellow _cord _slicks straight out and further he bends back, now with only one hand on the sword.

He never saw it coming. He never sensed it coming either. So entrenched on teasing her, he never expected this. Narc leapt from the berth. Drift almost had the loose hand touching the floor curled over his head when the ice lemon body actually pounced on him, crashing him to the floor on his back. She was impaled. He grunted with the intimate contact, and groaned for his back's impact with the hard floor. Her mouth clamped to his never giving him a chance to say "I told you ." At the moment, he didn't really care. The physical contact was to powerful and wonderful. He was the one to cry out, _**More, give me more.**_

~~~00~~~

Curled up to her resting side, Drift never felt more at home. He hadn't really thought what was _his home _other than Speck. But now with a mate perfectly content pulsing their contentment back and forth through the bond… this is what all the literature had described. Contentment. Peace. Safe. Warm. Home.

"Drift?" The sleepy vocal voice reached out for him.

"Hmm?" was all he could answer, nuzzling closer to her, if possible.

She looks down to his very content face and soft blue optics, "We have to leave soon or be late for the conference. I know you would never leave your sword, but do you have a cloak?" He nods his head. "Good. You're driving."

"Where are we going?" He stretches out. It scatters her thoughts for a moment watching him reach as far as he can over his head gripping the brass head rail all the way down to his pointed ped-toes. His lean body completely exposed to her view and touch. Every toned cabled-muscle in his abs and everything. Her tongue can't help but lick her lips.

Her silence rolls his head to her in confusion. Some how the sight of his beloved mate admiring his physique so sweetly warms him. This was not an erotic mood, no it was her being pleasured by being with him. He has brought something to someone else's life that they enjoy. After so much death, it was wonderful to bring delight.

Her left hand reaches out and fans out over his belly touching the tight abs in fascination. As it caresses, he notices a band on her hand. It's the same one that Laroura and Perceptor have. Luckily for his mate though, with her ice yellow skin, his near-like white color is only visible if you know what you were looking for. He takes her hand and lifts it sweetly examining it. He sees his name in the ancient language. Not Dreadlock, not Drift, but the meaning of his name: _A spirit within the breeze._ He sighs grateful that Primus has granted her safety in not being marked clearly as his. He kisses the mark not releasing her hand.

Narc notices Drift's near silent demeanor. "Love?"

He takes a deep breath inhaling the moment, "Just savoring our time together."

She moves closer examining the mark with him, "You don't have one?" He lifts his hand and sadly shakes his head. "Maybe it's for the best?" They both look to the platinum band laying limply on his chest. "Well, there is that." He smiles and kisses her hand again. "You aren't going to beg me to -" _become hidden away._

"Please, I don't want to start a fight right now." He closes his optics again. "Just do me one favor." He swallowed hard, "If I come for you and tell you to leave, don't argue with me, just do it. Other than that, I will leave your life in peace. You have so much going for you right here, right now. Please, just be my home."

How could she refuse such a plead from a tortured soul finally finding peace? She curled into his warmth and pulsed her promise. The couple reclined and enjoyed the comfort of each other's bodies entwined and soft talk about the conference for a few more moments.

Then onto the shower and redressing. He enjoyed watching her pamper herself before the mirror resting his chin on his palm on the Great Sword's hilt. She catches his gaze in the reflection, "Yes?"

"Wing would be laughing his aft off right now watching us. Acting like normal bots getting ready to hit the market."

She knows the statement was supposed to be a tease, but it was also very painful. Clipping on her necklace of glass bobbles of yellow and white, she turns, "Do you think we could ever have that? A home, a normal life… maybe … just maybe…"

He can sense something deep. Sheathing the sword his comes to his mate and kneels before her, "Is there something I can give you? What is the one thing you want in all the universe, my precious mate?"

She bites her lip and turns her head away from his pleading optics. This was not the time to reveal this. Drift was already arguing with himself about trying to keep her safe. "No," she whispers.

But the Ninja won't be so easily dismissed. He worms his way down their bond. She tries to block him out. So with a single finger to her chin, turns it and kisses her warmly with his own plea. She gives in to both his kiss and his push. He sees what she desires most in the world…..

{present}

"Yeah Perceptor, tell me how to answer that! I gave my mate the one thing she wanted most in the world. In return I killed her mother in order to protect her, your mate, your sparklings and this whole planet! Do you really think she wants to see what I have done? How shall I go to my son and tell him I killed his grand-creator in order to protect him!" He takes a shuttering breath nearly sobbing again. "How can I face her? How can I face him?"

Perceptor turns fully to his friend, "You will never know unless you try."

Drift pleads, "What am I going to tell her?"

With both hands on the white mech's shoulders, "The truth. Do you want to run it by me first?"


	6. conventions and confessions

**Prime Blood : Drift'n Away Chapter 6**

_**Sparklink **__Internal thoughts _/comlink/

a/n And yes, six chapters in and I finally figure out I put his kantana's in the wrong place! I put them in the Prime-Wheeljack placement (crossed back) vs. the IWD version upon the hips. But is you take any of my stuff that literal and correct (eyes roll) the *ahems* are in the wrong place too! Not much of that here this time. No this time is the building bonds of the relationship and Perceptor understanding Drift's situation better. On with the show.

{present} Drift rolled back even further so that his aft rested on the gravel path, crossing his legs before him, planting the elbows on the thighs and dropping his face into the open palms. This time not to cry. No, this time to rub sense into his mind. Trying to get it all together.

Perceptor's tone was even softer as he joined his friend in the same posture, "Tell me. What happened?" Drift doesn't answer continuing to rub his face softly, "Drift, I knew something was wrong years ago. Let me guess, that's when you bonded to Narc?" The white helm just nods. "Alright. When did you first notice something was… _off… _about her creator?"

The palms stop and the fingers change to just frame the face plates. "I… I should have known. I should have…"

Perceptor lays one hand on the top protrusion of the helm pressing his thumb to the top daffodil colored mark, "Do you know why Optimus made the order for 3 days down time after bonding?" Slowly the white helm rotates right and left. Perceptor can't help but chuckle a little considering his flash-bonding and the wrath he encored from Wheeljack and the ribbing from Drift.

As if the white mech could read the black & red's mind, without lifting his helm a palm releases the face and grasps the hilt of the Great Sword, "I suggest you choose your next words _very carefully, _Perceptor_._"

The black palm releases the white helm and takes a deep breath. "How did it feel to have a new entity within your spark and processor?"

Drift lifts his head (releasing his grip on the hilt) and a multitude of answers come to his mind. Perceptor can see each emotion cross the face plate. The smile on his own face broadens at each new emotion on his friend's. When Drift feels them cycle for the third time, he blinks and looks directly at his best friend's smug mug.

Perceptor leans his cheek into his own propped up palm, "Hum, understanding now?"

Dumbly, Drift nods. Preceptor now returns to the first conversation, "Don't blame yourself for missing the signs. Even Wing would have missed them if he was in your situation."

"I doubt that!" the white one snorts.

"Really? And how long did you know her before you bonded?" Perceptor has already figured out when Drift bonded. Still it was amusing to see a look on the ex-Decepticon, vicious assassin, and highly skilled Ninjabot. It was one of pure embarrassment mixed with guilt, sprinkled with hint of amusement. "Shall I guess?"

Drift shakes his head, "Faster than you. It was the, umm, same night that the, umm _contact _ended up in the hospital after what she did to him with my dagger."

Perceptor rolls his head back in a full roar of laughter complete with moisture from his optics. "Oh Primus, Wheeljack will have to leave me alone after this!"

Drift clamps a hand down instantly on his friend's wrist, "NO! You can't let any one know!"

Perceptor's laughter ceases instantly, "What did you say?"

Drift shakes his head violently, "You don't understand Percy, no one can know I have taken a mate. And absolutely no one can know about my son."

Percy clamps his own hand over his friend's, "Drift, what is going on?"

Drift nods, "Alright. Here's what first tipped me off…." {flash back}

~~00~~

Drift slipped out of Narc's upstairs loft and out to hidden Speck. Narc followed a half an hour later. He had the door open, standing just outside waiting for her. He pulsed his pride in watching his perfect mate striding confidently across the glen towards him, heavy white cape billowing out with her firm confident strides. He also bears a plain white cloak with the hood pulled up to hide Great's hilt and his helm should anyone find them.

And she did. _Scrap!_

Drift almost had his hand to Narc's elbow when the voice broke the silence, "So Narc, who is your escort?" The white hand dropped back beneath the heavy fabric.

"MOTHER!" Narc spun, billowing the cape in the turn.

Drift said nothing. The older femme tried again narrowing her gaze to Drift's optics hidden well, "I said, who is taking the Chief Enforcer's daughter off-world." Still Drift remains silent to Saffron.

But to his mate he _sends, __**What do you want to do? **_

_**Leave the talking to me. **_"Back off, Mother. I have already had this fight with you."

Saffron plants both hands on her hips, and takes two steps squaring off with Drift, "So, are you paying him with _pleasures?"_

Narc gasps, "MOTHER" Drift's fists clench beneath the cloak at the accusation to his mate being a harlot. It took all he had not to bristle. _How dare a creator say such a thing!_

Saffron's finger jabs the thick white cloak in the chest, "I want to hear from you your intentions." Drift was more determined than ever not to speak to this femme, no mater who her creation was. "I said answer me! What makes you think you are worthy to be her bodyguard on such a mission?"

Narc steps forward and yanks her mother's shoulder snarling, "Back OFF. This is a conference for restaurant owners and suppliers. Not a meeting for drug transport and stolen supply exchanges. Geeze, is that all you and Dad talk about? Not everyone is out to do evil." She takes a huff, "I swear you have watched too much crazy entertainment and read too many cheep-credit novels. And this is precisely why I have hired him to escort me is so I won't have to deal with this from you, Coco, Fila, or the Chief. Got it?"

"I'd rather you were taking Slick." Saffron huffed lightly. Drift's growl meld with Narc's moan making the disgust clearly known to the higher classed femme. Her optic brow raised, "What? He's nice and has potential plus, he likes you."

Narc rubs her shoulder where he'd roughed her up, "Yeah, I know all too well how _nice _he is."

Saffron pats her daughter's shoulder, "He explained it was all a misunderstanding. You just didn't understand his playing. There was no need for you to get violent. Or were you showing off to-" she thumbs to Drift.

Narc rolls her optics and turns to Drift, "Shall we. I'd rather not be late. There are a few people I really must meet."

Saffron reaches out, "Narc-" But Drift bodily steps between the two femmes. He was so done with this conversation. He wasn't sure how much longer he could remain calm. Saffron hit him, hard, with both palms to the pectorals to get out of the way. He flinched, to keep from smacking her back, but turned and moved forward directly behind Narc sealing the door in the older femme's face. Keeping the cloak on and remaining silent, Drift took his pilot's seat and began punching the activation controls harder than necessary.

As the ship lifted off, Drift cast a glance to Narc. Her fists were clenched to the arm rests where Percy normally sat. Her optics were locked straight ahead seething, near panting. Getting clearance with a false name, they broke orbit and headed for the first space bridge.

Vast open space, Narc sighed. Drift reached over and curled a soft palm over her relaxing grip. She looked up to his comforting optics and raised their hands so she could kiss the back of his gloved palm. The beeping drew his attention and hand back to the controls and they prepared to bridge out of the solar system.

~~00~~ {return to present} Perceptor nudged, "What as in that that tipped you?"

Drift ponders, "It was what Narc had said: drug trafficking, stolen goods. Remember, our supplies had been compromised? I had told her I needed new contacts for a couple bases. Our needs were not comparable to hers, so we wouldn't share suppliers and there would be no connection between us. When I broached suppliers, made it clear I was a scout. I had a feeling about a few questionable merchants. I even saw some of our traitors."

"There was more, wasn't there?" Perceptor nudged.

Drift blushes, "Granted, I was still umm…"

Perceptor chuckled, "Overwhelmed with passion?"

Drift cocks his head, "Says the one who fertilized twins."

Perceptor puffs out his chest rather proudly, "Yep! Now back to it!" Drift drops his jaw, _Perceptor arrogant? _{back to the flashback}

~~00~~~

For security, privacy, and finances, Drift and Narc choose to sleep aboard _Speck. _Narc lay face down arms tucked under the pillow, sheet draped over their naked hips. On his side, head propped up by a bent elbow and open palm, he let the other caress and trail down her ice yellow back. Near dead center is a deep blue tattoo. She notices him spending more time examining it with his finger tips. So she turns her head looking up to his optics. "I know there were others in your life, Drift." He adverts his gaze and slowly nods. "I know you went further with them that I ever did with my past, for lack of a better word, lovers." His breath shutters. He knows he has no right to be jealous, just as she doesn't either. "But that isn't the problem, is it?" Slowly he shakes his head again. "Talk to me. I can feel you trying to block me out. Stop."

He lets his palm caress the lovely strong back once more. Then he leans over her and kisses the name of an old lover, "I don't understand your parents. They love you so very much, but why would they be so mean about your past…"

"Interests? Lovers? Consorts?" He growls making her stop the list. Instead, she turns to her side, pressing her own torso to his. This time she is caressing his cheek making him look directly at her, "My parents have a fairytale love story." A disbelieving look crosses his face. She smiles broadly, "If you saw them dancing the other night, you would see what I mean."

He could feel that she believed her parents relationship was pure and holy. How could he shatter that? Instead he decided to be careful about his questions. A warm thumb graces the side of her face. "Tell me. I could use a good love story right now." She tries to shove him thinking he is teasing her. Instead he cups the side of her helm making her look deep into his optics, "If what they have is so wonderful, I want to know how to give you everything they have and more."

Her palm slips to his spark, "You already have. Respect, that's what I want most."

"Love?" He nuzzles her forehelm in adoration.

"It's too vague and I have seen the word abused too much recently."

What could he say to that? Instead he curls her even closer and lays back drawing her to entwine her limbs with his. "Tell me CHiP and Saffron's love story."

She smiles, "Once upon a time, a first cycle cadet from the right side of the tracks came across an accident with a couple femmes from the wrong side. Being the good Samaritan he was, leapt to their aid. She was the only one he could save. From there it was notes and communiqués back and forth. The day after graduation, they officially bonded. She ran a little diner, and he took his first post. Soon enough, a little trouble maker was born to them."

Drift chuckles lightly, "And so very glad, I am."

"Mother sold the diner, went back to school when I did and became a banker. Very successful, I might add."

Drift's lips curls, "I kind of noticed, by her distain for us _lower caste._"

"Daddy tries to remind her of her beginnings, but she pretends it never happened that way. Oh she does her charity, but it's like she carries an aire of superiority and I just can't stand it. When Daddy became Chief, it only got worse."

"And the mechs?"

"I'm not a complete idiot, only a partial one. I know I look good, but I was a fool to think they would see me for anything else other than my parents' titles. It was a short time in my past that was a blemish on both their names. It's hard for them to let go of that time. I did _a lot _of damage to our family reputation. For my sire, I think he's afraid of me never finding a m-mate." Her words choke. It hit her quickly with no chance to quash them. He tries to soothe her through the bond and with warm strokes to her back. Her chin lifts up and she smiles, "If Daddy knew you like I do, he would be very proud of the mate I have chosen. One who cares deeply for me and respects my choices. One who carries the Autobot duty proudly and with honor."

He beams her his own smile of gratitude. "My friends would love you too. Just for putting up with me, mostly."

A warm smiles crosses her face, "Really? Even if I'm a lowly run down diner owner?"

To which he curls their faces closer together, "That just makes you twice as wonderful. Battle grade rations suck." Her giggle erupts and making a joyous melody with his warm laugh. His arms tighten around her, "Come on, we've got to get some sleep. Tomorrow is the last day." It did take a bit to calm the giggles into passionate exhausting stasis.

~~~ The last day had it's share of excitement by watching one set of traitors lead away in stasis cuff and their table of "sample wares" confiscated. Narc was very surprised. Drift was not.

Later in the day, his secured com-line beeped indicating an incoming message from HQ. He looked to Narc who was across the room obviously with long term friends. _**I have a call I need to make. Ummm…**_ she could feel his concern for her safety.

Narc pulsed back her concern for what the message may entail for him, but that she was perfectly safe out here in the open with these people she has know for nearly all her life. They both sighed, and took it as a draw. Each went their ways on the promise to meet up later.

~~00~~

{present} "I should have known… I should have…." Drift shakes his head again.

Preceptor presses him on…

~~00~~

Drift received the message from Autobot HQ that another spy has be found. At the conference trade, no less. He gulped hard. He had a mission to carry out, and his mate was so close? Like Perceptor, he never wanted his mate involved in these missions. Yet he had no choice.

He sent back the confirmation code. Then sat back, pull up the block even tighter to their bond link and planned his attack.

~~ Narc had a grand time hitting the stalls with two of her good friends. They saw some very poor quality items and shot each other curious looks. Then they found the shy new comer down in the poorest stall and were delighted by her small scale farm on a remote asteroid. Along with a friend of a friend, they made a great arrangement with the shy farmer's daughter. Best of all, they invited her out later in the evening for a walk along the beach and drinks. She looked so relieved seeing how her mate was going to be meeting an investor privately for dinner and she was a bit lonely and worried about some of the others here, more than ever after "the incident". The femmes lived up to their roles as hostesses and stuck by her until it was time to close up.

~~~ Drift did not feel good about his duty this time. Everything just felt so wrong. As he pressed the point to the mech's neck he could just feel the hands of Primus strangling him to stop. Drift stopped short of killing him completely, but left him ailing enough that he would be in the med-bay for quite awhile. Searching the room, the evidence wasn't blatant, but it **was** staged. This poor mech had been set up, and so had the Autobots or their assassin. Drift felt his spark sick and worse.

Sure he had harmed innocents before, but now that he was bonded, she would feel it too… eventually. First he needed to figure out how to deal with this before his wall shattered and she felt his blackness.

Taking a walk along the beach cliff, trying to clear his head, he could feel his mate calling to him just to make sure he was alright, and loved. It warmed him, but sickened him further. And then he heard the sound of femmes giggling from the beach below.

He stooped down so his silhouette would not be seen against the light of triple crescent moons. It also gave him a better vantage point over the four delightedly amused femmes down below chucking rocks out into the surf drinking their fluffy high-grades.

The light from the moons lit the femmes better than anything Sunstreaker could dream of painting. Easily he picked out his femme. He would know that giggle and those lovely curves his arms were wrapped tightly around last night.

Now the other two took him a few moments to identify, but as soon as they spoke, he knew them: The sea-foam green/ sparkling white one was Sea Spray's older sister, Conch, with the same propellers that spun with her giggles and the same bubbling voice. The deep blue femme with small brass props on the side of her helm, Kelp, their cousin. Together they run a restaurant on a liquid based planet that is a supply stop for tankers.

The last femme Drift didn't know. But after hearing a few pieces of their conversation, he hoped he never would. He sank further to the ground and began to meditate and ask forgiveness for what he had done. This just solidified the information Autobot command had been fed was false. He had put an innocent mech in the med bay. _At least you didn't offline him_, Drift felt a wave of condolence gift his spark. He closed off the rest of the universe and dove into his faith.

~~~ Narc had caught a glimpse of fabric flapping in the strong breeze when she lifted her head back at a particular randy joke. She also felt a strong block to her beloved. While Conch and Kelp saw their new tipsy friend back to her room, Narc made her way across the bluff to the white cloaked figure bowed in silence. She knew he was meditating and wondered only for a moment if should leave him in peace. Softly, she settled on the slope behind him and let a single hand press to his back directly between his shoulder plates. Just a warm hand to let him know, she was there when he was ready.

The time was agonizing, but soon enough, he lifted his head. He dropped the wall to their link. The meditation had calmed his spark some, but still it was troubled. She did not push, he did not answer. They both knew it would be a burden he would bear alone and all she could do was soothe and be of support.

Settling herself down with her back to the rock with the ground sloped just slightly higher, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back between her bent knees. He turned ever so slightly resting his audio against her spark chamber, never uttering a word. She curled him to her body like an overgrown sparkling should be consoled. Mellowed by his meditation, comforted by his mate's warm _sends, _pacified by her even spark beat, he slipped easily into stasis. As soon as his slow even breaths overcame his slumped heavy body, hers soon followed.

~~~ In the morning, a warm beam of light warmed her face. Yet she didn't open her optics. A soft ocean breeze brushed over her rustling the heavy cloak tucked around her body. It was a sound that drew her more alert. It was soft like the sound of rustling leaves… but _whoosh!_

_Whoosh-whoosh, swish, whop, whoosh, whop-whop, whoosh-_

And so it went in a rhythmic sound. Too rhythmic to be the breeze. She pulled the fabric from over her optics, and craned her head just barely. The dawn was just barely breaking over the horizon of the ocean, lighting the mech on the very cusp of the cliff. His optics closed, she feared for him instantly. His movements staggered for just a second (feeling her awakened-concern), but then resumed their rhythmic dance with the curl, parry, slice … his morning routine. His dance and centering with Great Sword.

Narc couldn't move. The balance, grace and partnership captivated near hypnotizing her. For nearly and hour, he did this dance, increasing his height to his leaps, and arches to his back. They were moves she knew she would never be able to make. Funny, but he was far more flexible and graceful than she ever dreamed she could be, or any femme dancer she ever saw. The dance climaxed with a move she was sure would send him off the cliff and to his death, but it didn't. Not even a waver to his landing. It took all she had to keep her fears to herself, practicing her own bond shield. From there, the dance began to calm and slow.

Narc wasn't sure what was more beautiful, the heated fast pace, or the slowing stretching, cool down. With the last move, there as no heavy venting, no dripping sweat, just a very calm, cooled, centered mech sliding Great into the protective sheath on his center back. He looked to the rising sun with a grateful smile, then turned on a toe, striding towards his awakened mate. He is well aware of her watching his dance. Kneeling before her, she rose to her own knees, meeting him. He cups her cheek smiling at her beautiful face. She cups his back.

"Drift, you are so beautiful," the words were as soft as the breeze.

His thumb grazes her cheek arc, "Oh you have everything over me." How can she not laugh? With that, he curls her face closer to his. "I want remember this morning forever." With that, takes her lips. This dance may have been to a new song, but it was no less graceful or hypnotizing. Just like the last dance, it warmed up, climaxed to a mind-blowing passionate lit kiss and then began the slow cool down leaving her curled against his frame wondering if he just took her within the Matrix and brought her back to reality. His arms soothed and stroked her back, mellowing her while they watched the sun continue to rise.

"I have to head home soon," she reluctantly admitted.

"Yeah, I have to report back as well," he sighed heavily, but would not let this moment be destroyed by last night's mission.

"Anything thing else you need to do here?" He rolls his head. "Me either. I'm ready when you are."

He nuzzles her helm, "I shall never be ready to leave you, but… give me just a few more minutes." She curls in tighter.

When the sun begins to make them heat up, it was the unspoken timer they needed. Slowly untangling themselves, hand in hand they made their way silently back to _Speck. _The trip back to Rousan (long way round to avoid trailers and extend their time together) was near silent too and he was ever so grateful his mate was not one who needed to fill the air with words. Instead, knew how to enjoy the mysteries and beauty of a nebula, comet, or a string of asteroids. Just a finger or a small giggle was more than a thousand words.

Finally he reached a hand out taking hers. She looked at it curiously when he tugged. He tugged again. Looking up to is face, she could see delight. With the other hand, reached under and scooted his seat back. Now she understood, and came to him. Taking both of her hands, he laid them on the controls, and then gently pulled her hips, so she sat in his lap.

"Drift, Speck is your baby, are you sure-"

"If I can trust you with my spark, I can trust you with my Speck. Besides, something may-"

"Don't you DARE complete that thought!" Her tone was the same she used in disciplining an employee. Wisely, he obliged. Instead, he began her flight instructions.

Was it through their link or because she had learned to read his body so well, she picked up his instructions easily enough. A little jerky, nearly threw them to the floor once, but she was getting it.

Until a light flashed on the dash, and Drift growled. She could read that it indicated an incoming priority call. She stood up and thumbed to the back, "I need to powder my nose anyway." Drift chuckled lightly at the very old discreet line. Before she left the cockpit, she leaned in and left him with a very warm kiss, "Thank you for my flight lesson, sir." He couldn't help but chuckle again, she left closing the door behind her and he hit the activation button, "Drift reporting. And you have a Pit of a lot of explaining to do!"

~~~~ {present}

Perceptor sighed, "Oh, that call. Yeah, Blaster was pretty worried."

Slamming one fist into another, "Yes, he should have been!" He too sighed, "Now on retrospect, it is good that I wasn't there delivering the initial information in person. Maybe it was a good thing I'd had Narc with me to keep me more calm. I don't know…" His mind drifted back to that trip pulling him away from the angry moment. That trip was one he will never forget. Burned into his memory forever.

"Drift…?" Preceptor nudged his friend.

The white mech was living up to his name with the smirk on his face showing he was drifting back to another time. "Percy, when is Laroura her most beautiful?"

The red and black mech's face slackens to tenderness as well, "Every time I lay optics on her." Drift smiles and nods. "What happened?"

With a dreamy tone, he continues the story…

~~~ {back to _Speck's _return to Rousan}

Drift gave up with encrypted conversation over the line and told them to prepare for him returning to Autobot HQ as soon as he dropped off his cover. And everyone involved better be there, slamming the link off.

Surprised at himself, he was actually calmer than he should be. Yes he was mad and upset, but not the full wrath he had felt after the revelation of betrayal. But he did need a few more minutes to get completely calmed.

When the path was clear, he set the trip and engaged the autopilot. His chronometer showed he had spent far more time on the call than he originally expected. Standing up and stretching, trained Ninja or not, the body let him know he had sat in the same position too long as well. First stop was the "facilities" and then looked back to his berth.

The sight before him was one he would hold forever. **His mate** laying on **his berth **face down sprawled out like a sparkling. Tucked under her arm and up close to her nose, like a sparkling's blankie (minus the thumb) was **his cloak.** And such an un-femme-like snore. His whole frame just sank to the edge of the berth, stroking the very curved edge of her face. He wanted to hold her forever just like this. No war. No parents. No employees. No one but him and her… forever within their own peace of the universe.

"Mm, just a few more, Mother. 'Drift'n away on a cloud of dreams….' " the rest was lost to her burying her face into the scent of his cloak.

Drift leans in and presses his lips to her temple, "Of course my love. Dream all you like."

"Daddy, I found a mate you would be proud to call son… he's wonderful… Told you, knew you would love him…." and her words drifted away.

Still he stroked her face, "Primus why have you blessed me? After all my sins, why have you gifted me with her? She is so much better than I deserve. How can I be what she deserves? How can I… Please Primus, please help me be the mate she deserves…. Please…" He could feel the tears slipping down his face.

"Drift?" The groggy voice comes from his cloak. He couldn't speak. Instead, he flooded their link with his love. She rolls and raises her own hand to his chest. Higher up, "Do we have time?"

He knows, she wants time within his spark. He ponders their flight time, and then nods slowly. They each remove their chest pieces. Drift covers his mate with his larger warmer body releasing his spark. He leaves it where she can come grab it and take it where ever she wants. The mech's spark breaks open hiding very little. He lets her dive in and feel her way around.

Narc doesn't want duty. She want him to feel her everywhere. She wants him to feel her touching, caressing, soothing, holding him. Her spark is making him feel her overwhelm and take hold of him. Plunging all her passion, desire and love for him. She did not intend what did happen. All she wanted him to know was that she love him and always would no matter his past, their distance, or their duties… to feel the pleasure his love brings to her. It continued and lead on… and then the overload of emotions and encompassing passion… cries of euphoria ran through the little ship.

**Beep beep beep beep**

Brought the euphoria to an end. His spark was sorry, but swiftly with drew. Staggering at bit, from the change of sensations, Drift flopped down to the pilot's chair and resumed control of _Speck. _The beeping was the indication of arrival at the next gate which had to be manually controlled.

Crossing through the gate, Rousan came into view. A cloak was laid in his lap. He glances up and sees her, redressed, leaning in the door frame. "Drop me off by the hospital. There's a public port there. I can make my way. Coco was going to check on his sister anyway and I can get a lift from him."

Drift knew she was probably right. He followed her advice, using another false ID. Her finger points to a land-based vehicle, "That's Coco's with the red dent in the front fender. He's still here. I'll be fine."

_Speck's _are still running. Narc leans down and kisses her mate warmly. She tries to pull back, but his palm around her nape pulls her off balance until she is laying across his lap in a much deeper kiss that he has no intention of ever ending. Until the siren is heard. Narc yanks out of his grip and looks at the front window. "Oh scrap! Drift, umm, run!"

With that, she was off his ship, trying to intercept her father and two other officers with their weapons drawn.

The bull horn calls, "Step out of the ship hands raised or we will open fire. Using a false ID signature is a violation of-" Speck blasts off the platform and easily breaks orbit.

CHiP sighs, lowers his weapon and turns to his daughter exasperated, "And what do you have to say for yourself?"

"You know, you meet the most interesting people at trade conferences," she failed at the innocent tone. CHiP just stared at her for awhile. Narc was very happy, relaxed, safe… well. "Would you like to hear what Conch and Kelp taught me about adding something called cinnamon to Beryllium pies can do for their flavor?" Still his jaw was slack with shock. He threw his hands up in the air and walked away without another word. Narc lets all the air just gush from her body and sinks to the bench.


	7. service yet severed

**Prime Blood Drift Chapter 7**

_**Sparklink **__Internal thoughts _/comlink/

{present}

Narc recalled that memory as well. Looking down to her sleeping son, a product of her intense passion for her mate and a bit of help from a good friend, "Oh our sweet spark, I do not hate your sire. I love him intensely, maybe too much." Narc lays her head closer to her precious gift feeling his soft breaths against her cheek.

Just like now, that memory the pair share, had overwhelming emotions that gripped and nearly crushed the breath from her systems. Frozen. It hurt to breath. A thought was crippling. Narc felt the tears streaming down her face. She knows, she just may have pushed Drift too far this time.

He was no fool. He is highly skilled and extremely devoted, there had to be a reason to his actions. He didn't do anything without a reason. Try as she might, she just could not figure out what it was. It was very apparent, the mech was holding something back from her. Something about her. Something about them. What could it be?

She opened her side to their bond fully. What she found was pain. Intense pain to their link. Like someone was trying to stretch or cut a tendon cable with a very dull rusty blade. Saddest of all, it was them. Both of them sawing away at the bond.

She felt him sigh. He felt her reach out and caress his spark. She felt him accept her touch. He didn't reach back, afraid to taint her and their innocent son. Instead, of arguing or pushing, he pulsed a moment of time. One near forgotten….

{flashback}

It had a been silent long time since Narc sat on the hospital bench waiting for Coco and watching her spark mate run for his life from her father. She fell into her spark-aching silent routine. The first few days were horrific. The silence was deafening, crushing, agonizing… The normal jovial and fun Narc was replaced by near silent solemn business owner. Efficient, organized, compassionate as usual, but not out going.

Even her sire coming by with a bear-hug, warm smile and her favorite Energ-fudge wasn't enough. CHiP cups his daughter's face when she only stares at the fudge and tenderly makes her face him, "Hey, did that escort of yours break your spark? I can make a few calls." The warm smirk to the very real threat was enough to bring out a reaction.

"That won't be necessary, Daddy." She hugs him back. "Tell Mother thank you for the fudge."

"It didn't come from her. Some mech named Seaspray dropped it off from his sister's tanker-stop diner."

A smile beams, "Oh Conch and Kelp sent it." She did so miss her friends, and that night on the cliff with…

CHiP now narrows his gaze with a leading tone, "Yes, they did." Narc picked up on there being more to his visit. She pays attention. "Seaspray said something about an incident at the conference. Are you alright?"

Narc furrows her brow, "What, that merchant arrested for selling stolen goods? I never did business with him."

CHiP watches her carefully holding her a bit tighter, "No, not that. I'm talking about the attempted murder of another mech. You, Conch and Kelp were with his mate on the beach during the attack. Do you have any idea why he would have been targeted?"

Narc began to shake a little, for once nervous that all her parents' warnings could actually been fact, "Daddy, what are you talking about?"

CHiP knew his daughter well enough to know she didn't know anything about the attack but the new news was upsetting her. He knew he had to tread very carefully now. Narc could snap in several different reactions. Taking a sigh, he cupped her face again, giving her a warm smile, "Well, I guess I'm just glad you did take our advice and take a body guard. Hum?"

Narc was no dummy, she knew he was hiding something, "Even if you don't approve of him?"

He chuckles, "Present company excepted, your choice of mech friends has been questionable in the past."

A slap of the spatula on the pass-through window snapped the Chief Enforcer's attention up, " 'Scuse me sir, but I resent that remark!"

CHiP could only laugh to the burly rough cook who would never hurt a fly and yet kill to protect his boss. "My apologies, Coco." With that, CHiP's com went off. He listened intently on the closed-com incoming messaged. With a heavy sigh, he sent a reply that he would be joining his team. With a warm stroke to his only heir's cheek he sighs, "Please, Narc, be careful. I know you think I'm only worried about your safety, but that isn't the case at all." With a knuckle, he taps her covered spark, "The most valuable item in the universe is my daughter's spark. And I just can't bare the thought of it being abused, hurt or taken advantage of."

Narc covers his hand seeing the deepest truth in his words, "Maybe you need another sparkling."

A sad smile crosses his face, "Believe me, it wasn't from lack of trying. But Primus just didn't grant us that. I guess we were deemed worthy of only one, and I will protect her every way possible." Narc leans in closer to her sire. It has been so so long since she was a sparkling curling up into his big burly arms for a story or snuggles. But here he was, knowing she was seeing someone serious and frightened she will make the worst mistake of her life, forever domed to disappointment and sorrow. "Please, before you bond, let me meet the mech who will take you away from me."

"Daddy, if any mech thinks he will come between me and my sire, he is not for me."

CHiP kisses her forehelm, "That's the smart femme I raised. Please, come to dinner this week. Please?" How could she say no to that? So she just nods. With that, he was gone, but not the words or the warmth.

~~00~~

It was two seasons later before Narc saw Drift again. (This was the memory he wanted her to remember.) Narc dashed up the stairs to her loft, laughing with Fila on her heals. Tossing open the door, she froze instantly. Something was wrong. Fila slammed into her stilled back.

"What is it, Narc?" The head waitress sounded concerned.

Narc scanned the room swiftly. There was a warmth she hadn't felt in so long, it was almost forgotten. More than that, the room was dark. Very dark. She always liked the windows open and lit by celestial light. Yet her mate…

There! She saw the lump in the berth. Her spark skipped a few pulses. And yet, the waitress asked again, "Narc?"

Swiftly Narc stumbled over a reply, "Scrap, power's out again. Must be that fuse again. They told me not to plug so much in. Um, why don't you get us a couple glasses in the main room. I'll just grab the data pads and meet you."

"You sure that's all?" Fila was sure Narc was lying.

"Yeah, what else could it be?"

"Oh, a mech."

Narc turned her scowl to her trusted employee, "If it was a mech then why the Pit would I still be going to a meeting with you? Go get the glasses. Jeeeze! Mech, pleeeease!" With that she shut and locked the door in Fila's face.

With hurried steps, she tripped her way across her messy room only to crash to her knees at the berth side. "Drift? Are you really here?"

The slumbering mech only mumbles her name. Pushing through their bond, she can feel he is deeply asleep and really needs it. Medicated. Rising to her peds, kisses his temple and heads back to the door. Let him sleep while she plans that graduation party, and then come back to his arms. What a wonderful way to celebrate!

Fila knew something was up when Narc was swift in her planning of the meal, music, and events to the enforcement academy graduation party. Like she just pulled up the one from last year and only adjusted the numbers. Copy, paste, DONE! Fila tried all kinds of new ideas, but Narc disregarded them all. Downing the last of her glass, gathering up the items off the table, she all but shoved Fila out the door.

"Narc, what is wrong with you?" Fila tried again.

Narc giggled nervously, "Oh, alright, I have a date. But NO he's not upstairs. I just kind of forgot." Fila narrowed her gaze. Now the business owner did shove the employee out the door. "Tomorrow, at your regular shift, good night!" Slam, lock, and she was out of the room dashing through the kitchen, dumping the items on the counter, curling around the corner up the stairs and locking the door to her private loft.

Leaning softly against the door, she gave her optics a few moments to adjust to the very dark room. Normally she doesn't have to worry about where she has scattered her paraphernalia because star or moonlight always filtered through one of the three large windows illuminating the landmines of spare armor, accessories or projects. Yet, her mate did not want to be seen and therefore had closed all the blinds that she rarely closed making the room near pitch dark.

Narc takes a couple steps forward and finds her emergency light. Like candlelight, a low very soft glow. Activating it, she made her way across the room to her berth and her sleeping mate. During her absence, he had rolled to his back, wrist draped across his optics. Narc sets the light onto the cluttered stack of empty crates (turned into a makeshift nightstand). Curling her peds under her, she just looked down on the handsome white mech with her warm berth covering pulled up to his throat. Even with most of the face covered, she could still see the bruising and fresh welds. He's recovering, no wonder he was so tired. Ever so carefully, she leans over and kisses the lips healing a painful split. His chin lifts into the soft touch, wanting more and then wincing.

"Hey there handsome," she whispers. He just groans letting the wrist roll to grip the optics with the palm instead. Narc kisses his nose tip and pulls back. There's a nasty healing wound to the upper un-armored arm as well. Looking carefully, she knows he is naked under the covering, but she is sure it's not for intimacy, but more likely from healing from his wounds. When his other arm rises to lay on the pillow above his helm with another mutter in his sleep, Narc takes advantage to see how badly her mate is damaged. Making her movements as slow and unobtrusive as possible, she pulls the covering down from his body, and softly gasps.

A huge weld runs from his shoulder, across his center chest to the ribs. Whatever had sliced, had gone through his heavy armor and cut deep into the soft underarmor. Right across the narrow line between the spark and _cord _slits damaging the lips to both. Narc knows that was an extremely painful strike, probably dropping him to his knees. There's a nasty burn mark to his neck, the thigh has a brace… he probably should be in a med bay.

"You should see _Speck,_" the voice is gravely and dry. She nearly didn't recognize it. Only because it rumble from beside her, did she know to came from her mate. Swiftly, Narc brought him fresh Energon from an unopened cube she kept in her upstairs pantry.

With a groan, and a wince, did he rise to a slight sitting position. Keeping his optics closed, she helped him hold the cube and drink it. He couldn't take much and pushed her hand away. Carefully he eased himself back down to his side, making room for her as well. She sets the unfinished cube on the floor, and pulls the coverings back over him. He reaches for her hand tugging it asking her to lay beside him. "I… I need you…" Afraid her light armor will hurt his healing wounds, she swiftly discards it adding to the mess on the floor. His chuckle is weak, "You know, someone could get killed breaking into this place."

Still worried for him, she tries to keep the moment just as light, "Why do think I leave it this way?" With a few more pitches, she is ever so carefully lining her length beside his.

"Come closer, Narc. I won't break." She whimpers for him. Knowing her hesitation, he drapes a wrist over her hip, cupping the aft, and pulling her to touch his body. Curling an elbow under a pillow, he lays his thumping helm down and sighs, "Oh, so much better." Ever so carefully, she presses her head just under his chin and places an open kiss to his throat. He hums his approval. "Even better."

Maybe the room was silent of audio sound. But the bond was singing a ballad that could rock the walls. And the warmth radiating from the sparks so close together again, was enough to burn the building to the ground… again. Drift pressed his own lips to her helm top. Ever so lightly, she found a piece of his body not beat, bruised or broken and caressed it, "Shh, just sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

"M'kay," is mumbled.

It took longer for her to fall asleep than him. Silent tears slipped out. She knew his life was dangerous and knew he was a soldier, but his life had never crossed hers before. Now, here he was battered and bruised in her arms. Easily, she could have lost him. Who knew and Autobot body was so fragile? {end flashback}

Narc reached through their bond. His spark feels as bruised, cut and battered as his body looked that night. Only this time, she had beaten him up.

_**No, you didn't. I did this to us… to you.**_ He tries to let her know.

_**Come to me Drift. Come home.**_ She pleas.

_**Not yet, I need you to remember something.**_

{return to flashback}

In the morning, Narc awoke to someone purging. Swiftly she launched from her berth into the wash room. Sure enough, it was her mate. "Drift?" her voice wavered with worry.

Even though he was paler than his normal snow white underarmor, he lit her a smile. "Anti-infection meds always do this to me. I'll be fine." And then dry-purges once more. Narc moves to him and wraps an arm around his waist in support. He rinses out his mouth at the sink and then lets her lead him back to bed. She fussed the sheet around his fevered battered body. But he grips her hand, "Sit with me, Narc." She does and mewls a soft sound stroking his brow. This brings a soft smile to him and he hums into the touch. "Sweetspark, believe it or not, I have been much worse in the past." To which he moves her hands down to his hips and the scars she knows were from his lower half being replace. "This is nothing, but all the better with you."

"You escaped the med-bay, didn't you?" she carefully asks.

"Heh, yeah. Topspin is royally pissed. I really don't care. He said R&R, so here I am." He rubs her palm warmly, "Don't let me keep you from your life. I'm probably going to sleep most of the time anyways. I really don't want to take those pain killers, but if you want, I will so I can-" he gives her a rather seductively wicked kiss. They both know that with fresh welds over the lips of the _cord's _port, it would be excruciatingly painful. Probably would not end with pleasure. Besides, he hasn't the strength for that activity.

"How did you get here if Speck is a mess?"

"Seaspray dropped me off headed off to see his sister. He knows nothing, don't worry. In fact said there was a great little diner here where I could pick up some good grub." Narc joins his laugh. Then the moment slips silent. "I have to go meet my parents for brunch today."

"That's fine. Go, enjoy."

She huffs heavily, "That's two different statements. Mom has been hounding me about dating. She even has one lined up for me."

"It's not that cop is it?"

"I don't think so. Daddy understand my clear dislike for him and won't push me, but mother… well she just moved onto the next poor mech."

Ever so weakly, Drift's limbs droop and so does his voice, "Want me to kill him?"

Narc smiles brushing his brow again, "You can't even kill a fly right now. Besides, I'm taking my serving tray for protection."

Drift chuckles heavily until he starts coughing, "Oh Primus, that hurts." She lays down at his side letting him place her palm in a safe place. "Oh Primus, that feels so good."

"Drift, I never want to leave this. Will we ever have…." But he has slipped back to snoring sleep. Narc lay with her mate a little while longer until she knew it was time to go.

Dressing as conservatively as possible, and carefully moving obstacles out of the way to the waste/washroom, she reluctantly made ready to leave. With a last soft kiss to her mate's bruised lips, left her loft.

At her parents' door, CHiP answers the door. Once again, he can see his daughter's agitation to being set up on a blind date, mixed with something else. Something deep. Without a word, Narc slips her arms around her sire's waist silently begging him to hold her. Instinctive parental intuition, holds her to him and places a kiss to her helm top. A few minutes later, Saffron bustles in and huffs, "Oh please, it's not that bad! Quit acting like a sparkling and come on. We are dining in the garden." Saffron twirls away with a swish of her fabric attire. Narc lifts her head and they exchange the "prisoners death walk" expression, which only sends them into a fit of giggles.

CHiP taps her nose, "At least you get to go home after this. I get to listen to why you turned this one down again and the post interrogation. Thank you very much."

Narc reaches up and kisses her sire's cheek. "I love you daddy."

"Slagg'n well better!" he snarks tucking her hand to his elbow and escorts her to the garden.

~~~ Narc was actually a bit cheerful heading back to her loft. Drift awakens at her return and shuffles himself to a sitting position. "Well, you look better than when you left."

Narc pecks his lips, "So do you."

Drift laughs back, "So tell me, who was this mech who so captured your interest."

Narc gleefully plops down next to him and begins chucking off her accessories. "Well, actually, Daddy and I had such a good time watching Mother talking to Horis. Our own joke was that Horis was actually courting Mother rather than me. It was so much fun. While they huddled in the corner talking business forgetting all about us, we got a chance to catch up and just have a good time again." Her chin nearly waivers, "I should send Mother a thank you note for letting see my Daddy again."

Drift leans forward stroking her face, "You really did have a good time today, didn't you?" Narc tearfully smiles. "I'm very happy for you."

"Well, the day isn't over yet, and I'm free. So, up for a game?"

He smirks, "You do know I spend more than half my life in the Lushun System, right?"

"And you do know undercover cops were my babysitters, right?"

Drift rubs his palms together, "Oh yeah, bring it on."

"And just what do you have to bet with, buddy?"

"Look under my armor, I brought you a gift." Narc buries through it and pulls out a fabric bag or something jingling. She peers in confused, "Copper taffies." he responds Her eyes go wide. "I heard you had a soft spot for them." Now her eyes narrow, "Conch talks, a lot."

"Hence not telling them about you." He waggles a finger at her, "Fine, fine, I'm getting the cards."

~~~~ Two days later, Perceptor came into town with a pink and yellow femme at his side. Perceptor paged Drift (figuring him to be at a hotel) telling him to meet him at the dinner. His timing couldn't have been any worse: the weld on his chest had healed just enough for them to attempt more intimate contact. Both groaned and put on their armor.

Carefully, Drift made his way to the front door. Narc pretended to not know him when he enters. Perceptor waves, Drift juts his chin in acceptance and carefully makes his way to the table escorted by the hostess-Narc.

Laroura is all smiles as Drift carefully lowers himself into the chair. Perceptor scowls at his friend when he winces at Laroura planting a kiss on his cheek. "Narc, I want you to meet a friend of mine, Drift. Drift, Narc is the owner of this diner and always helped us at the abbey whenever we asked. Never turned us down."

Narc quirks a brow at Laroura yet blushing to the compliment and the honest gaze of adoration Drift gives her. Narc had never mentioned this to him. Narc pulls her optics from her mate fixing them back to her long lost friend "You look very different. No robe, no sisters? And I haven't seen you in vorns and now you show up with two mechs? You have some serious explaining to do." Drift picks up his cube curious to the banter.

Laroura smiles to Percy, "I left the convent, with their blessing. I went searching for the song behind my spark." Entwining her fingers with Percy's, it was a silent answer to finding it. Then Laroura reaches over and entwines her other hand with Drift's with that certain leading look, "So, Narc are you seeing anyone currently?"

Drift starts coughing violently to the Energon going down the wrong pipe. Laroura whacks him on the injured back making him cry out and yet still coughing. Perceptor's worry for his friend just increased three fold. Drift waves off all the hands of well meaning and excusing himself from the table heading towards the rest room. Laroura heads to the kitchen, around the other side meeting Drift by the storage room. He pulls her into his arms and they continue giggling.

"Are you alright, Drift?" She strokes his chest tenderly.

He nuzzles her fore helm, "I'll be fine. Although, I'm not sure how I'm going to make it through lunch without being set up on a date with you."

Narc walks her fingers to his nape, "Oh, I don't know, I could do worse."

He leans in backing her into the open storage closet with very lecherous movements, "Yes, but can you do any better?" She guides his lips to her neck.

"Let's find out." The door closes.

~~ 00~~

A few shameful moments later, the door squeaks open and Narc pokes her head out, "Coast is clear." She steps out, his hands still on her hips, follows her. Turning in his soft grip, she tries to push him back. "We should get back to work."

He leans in pressing his fore helm to hers, "When lunch is over, I will be leaving with Percy and Laroura." She nods slowly knowing that their time is coming to a close again.

Her finger traces his insignia this time, "I'm sorry you were healing, but I enjoyed every moment. You know, like a real bonded couple with a normal life."

He can't help but smirk. Softly he trails one finger down the side of her face. "Yeah, I know." He knows what he is going to ask next could get him punched, but his spark just goes for it, "We have room in the shuttle for one more. We're headed home. Laroura could-"

A single finger tip presses to his lips silencing the sweet thought without hurting his feelings. His optics plead. The bond begs. She leans in and presses her lips to his pinning the finger in between. His hands draw their hips closer, aching for that last contact to never end.

_**I love you.**_ She sends with an overwhelming push.

_**My spark is yours forever. **_

_**Then I go everywhere with you.**_

_**And I rest with you every night.**_

"Excuse me, is the restroom this way?"

Drift and Narc jump back from each other. To Narc's horror, it's Horis. Drift feels the groan in the bond. Horis smirks but says nothing as Narc points to the door for mechs.

Drift sighs as the other mech leaves, "Well, guess that's it." She nods. Like the last days of summer camp, they are both reluctant to move. He smiles a bit broader, "One, two…"

"Three," she breathes and they both turn away.

The rest of the meal was torture for Drift watching Narc go about her business and loving every moment, but not getting her to come with him that night. Narc had a very hard time not pulling up a chair and holding his hand under the table joining in with his friends. Instead, she buried her head in the kitchen.

As the meal finally closed and the bill paid, Drift, Laroura and Perceptor made their way to the front door. Drift's walk was still a bit hitched by the brace on his thigh. Narc watched her mate walk out of her view actually wishing maybe she had gone with them.

Shortly after, Horis came to the counter to pay his bill, "So, is that the reason you didn't go out with me?"

"Um?" Narc tries to feign confusion.

Horis leans in with a sleazy look and a finger hooked to her collar, "I want whatever you were giving him in the supply closet, or else."

"Or else what?" Narc picks up the spike used to skewer daily receipts bringing it dangerously close to his neck tubing. Horis feels the prick and slowly backs up. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Horis sneers, "You have crossed the wrong mech, Narc."

That night, while Narc was at a dinner party for her mother, her diner burned down again. But this time, Coco and Fila had been inside prepping a marinade for a party. They didn't make it. Narc was devastated. CHiP carried his sobbing daughter back to her old room.

Over the next couple days, Saffron tried to gloss it over telling her to let Horis take her mind off things. That only seemed to push Narc further into depression to the point of not moving from her bed. CHiP was getting extremely worried.

When Conch finally got a hold of her, having heard the rumor from a fellow supplier, Narc spilled her spark (still saying nothing about Drift).

A few nights later, Seaspray and Perceptor kidnapped Narc from her parents home.

_Hammerhead_ arrive at Haven with knocked out Narc in the berth.

When Narc awoke, she found herself on a very comfortable berth in a strange home. A pink and lemon yellow femme was sitting in the chair beside her reading a holo-book.

Groggy and dry mouthed she managed to get out, "Laroura?"

"Hey, good morning sleepy head. Welcome to my planet. How are you feeling?"

_**DRIIIIIIIIIIFFFFFT! **_The anger and pure fury raged down their bondlink like an out of control freight train.

Drift had been sparing with Perceptor. That burst earned him a crack across the back of the helm with a training pole.

{present}

_**Of course I remember that day. I day of pain and anger, but also a day that began our new life. **_She pulsed her confusion to him bringing up that moment.

_**Horis. He was the one who burned down the restaurant. He was the one who killed your friends… under orders.**_

_**Drift, I'm not surprised if it was done under orders. I am surprised it was someone my mother was trying to get me to date.**_

_**Not date, bond. Think about it Narc, think about it. It would bind a contract.**_

The business and analytical side of her was putting it together but her spark just wouldn't let her complete the connection. _**No, no… your intel was wrong.**_

"Narc…," her head whips around. There is her mate standing in the doorway to her loft apartment. "I had to eliminate the head of the Foxsome Mafia responsible for poisoning the Autobot supply line. The one who had active contracts out for information about Haven. The biggest mistake I ever made was bringing you here. You were right."

Narc rolls to sit up and begins violently shaking her head, "No, please, no… Ask my father. Ask his contacts, it's-"Drift somehow stands firm even though his hand is shaking. "I did. He was there when I confronted her."

Narc comes to him slowly, "NO!"

"I didn't know you were incubating when I left, but I did know what I had to do."

"NO! Drift, NO!" She shakes her head harder.

"She used your sire. She was the daughter of the Foxsome Master. CHiP never knew, until you went missing."

Narc slams her fists into his chest, "No, no, no…" but the voice is becoming weaker as the truth was coming to light.

His chin trembles, "They had pictures of Mercy and Autoclave asleep in their berths." Narc has nothing to say loving her nieces as well. "They had a picture of you and I sound asleep together. Here."

Narc gapes, "She was here just-"Drift winces knowing what he has to tell her next, "She took the pictures. When she came to visit you, she placed the hidden cameras."

Narc's fists now clenched his armor, "No, please Drift, no…."

His voice completely trembles, "I thought she was lying to me about the sparkling. Her lie was cut off before she finished - We executed her." Narc's optics go wide.

"Wha-what do you mean we executed her?" It was her turn to tremble.

Drift holds her wrist tightly to his chest. Tears drip down his face, "I'm so sorry. I never wanted you to know. I didn't abandon you… I was just trying to find-" His voice hitches, "I had no idea she was telling me the truth. Please forgive me Narc. Please my love, my life please forgive me."

"Drift, you can't run any more. You better tell me everything. What do you mean WE?"

"CHiP's team and mine met at the same location. I was just faster and tore the robe away. I had her on her knees, blade to her throat when CHiP's team arrived. He completed the interrogation. I… drew the blade, CHiP the pistol."

Narc's scream pierces his soul crumbling her to his knees. He crumbles beside her gathering her to his sobbing arms.

_One final chapter coming. I promise, it will have a happy ending. I promise._


	8. hope or home

**Prime Blood~ Drift'n Away Chapter 8**

_Drift'n away on a lazy summer's day, wish'n I had something different to say._

_But no, here we lay, with nothing left to say. Beloved, shall I go or shall I stay?_

_You thought I was all play, you never saw that all I did was pray._

_And now… we are about to throw it all way because of what I could not bare to say_

_Please believe me, come what may, on any given day, in my spark you shall always stay_

Narc had cried herself into a catatonic daze. Through her wailing, another cry arose At the moment, Drift had thought all the turmoil in their bond was them: the mated pair. But when Narc began to go limp and silent, the other wail was still there. In fact, it got louder and more panicked as the wail of the creator became silent.

Drift lifted his head and noticed the movement beneath the berth covers across the room. His own spark began to tremble. His son… his son…. He son was crying out from his parents turmoil.

The white mech lifts his limp mate and carries her to the berth. Ever so carefully lays her beside her infant. Their infant… The little one is screaming in panic and terror. He needs comfort and the only comfort he has ever known is in no position to give it.

"Primus help me, please, please... Guide me." Swiftly Drift rips his armor off, not caring how it clatters to the floor or that the noise makes the littlest member of the family jerk in a new terror. For once, not even giving a care to the Great Sword, continues his prayers and tossing the warrior attire aside. Ever so tenderly and carefully, he slips his large hands under the tiny frail flailing infant. His own RNA, his own Energon… his lineage. His hope… Wing's foretold-promise. Drift gazes down on Primus' gift to him. Pressing his fore helm to his son's, he hums a very soft tune. Shaky at first, but soon a harmonizing one that Wing would use in their early days of training to calm him. The infant responds just as he had. The wail slips to a whimper and then a soft hic-up. Drift curls the infant to his naked chest. Warmth to warmth. He wanted his son to feel his spark unencumbered. It took a lot for the sire to calm his own racing spark. He knew the innocent one needed protection and support, not his parents worry and grief. Ebbing his spark to pulse a little harder, bringing it to the surface a bit, he reached out to caress his son in his love. The little one mewls leaning into his sire. Accepting the bond reaching out to him reaching his own out for more touches of that new love.

"Oh my precious gift, I'm here. Cry all you want, I shall not let you go." Drift's deep voice is so warm and comforting. He can feel the little growing spark reach into their weak bond. Begging for more, feeding off the love coming his way. A smile breaks over the grown mech as the bond becomes stronger and more solid. "I've got you my sweet son. My gift, my blessing, a realized promise…"

A moan from the berth turns his attention back to his aching mate. Drift sighs, they need both him right now. This is what it means to be bonded. This is what it means to be a sire. This is what it means to be a family.

He checks to make sure the loft door is closed and barred. Then returns to the berth. Ever so carefully he slips down onto the berth, snuggling their infant between them. Drift notices a new snuffling and struggle within the infant. Stroking the little one, he can tell he needs something more than the sire can provide. Getting worked up again, the little one tries getting closer to the scent it needs so badly, but with his infantile movements, it isn't enough. Drift then sees it, the leaking from Narc's fabric covered chest. Ever so carefully, he moves the fabric aside, scooting the infant closer to the nectar it needs.

Just what the mother needed, as well. Her hand comes up to cup the little one closer to her breast, "Blithe…"

Drift's spark lurches hearing his son's name… a carefree hope. Ever so tenderly, he lets one finger stroke down the little white mechling while he greedily suckles, "Blithe…" Leaning over, he carefully places a kiss to his mate's fore helm. He so hopes his son will have a life free of worries and heavy cares.

"Blithe, let me tell you a story I love. It is one of your mother and I…." {flashback}

~~00~~

Drift had no idea that Seaspray and Perceptor had Narc. They had said nothing to him, there had been no reason to. After all, it was Conch who had asked her brother for help. Seaspray was on Earth at the time with Perceptor. The sigh Seaspray gave worried the fellow Wrecker. So he spilled it. Perceptor's optics went wide knowing Narc was a dear friend of his mate's. Swiftly they planned the extraction and succeeded.

Narc was quite surprised to awaken in the home of her friend. Mate to her own mate's assassin partner. Bizarre. But also furious. Her cry scared the scrap out of Drift and throwing his concentration off. He wasn't sure what hurt more, the powerful angry burst through their bond or the crack across the back of the helm. The combination brought him to a knee with a grunt and ooof. Perceptor was stunned to see his friend felled too easily. "Drift?"

The white mech clutched his chest trying his best to laugh it off, "Must have been that, sushi-gon we had for lunch." He tried nudging through their bond to find the source of her anger. But is was pushed to furiously, there wasn't an ounce of room for his to reach back. Instead, he had to pull up his block and return to his sparing partner. "Whelp, ready for round two?"

Perceptor leans on the sparing rod, "Are you sure you're alright?"

Drift stands smirking, "Oh you nerd. You fell for that 'something I ate' routine too easily. Your black aft is mine!" With that, hooked his own rod behind the black heal landing the mostly red mech on his black aft. Drift chuckled and Perceptor sneered. Yet the scientist knew there was something behind those optics that he couldn't quite put a finger on.

Narc on the other hand was furious to find herself in a foreign home, foreign planet and not permitted to leave. Pacing the guest berth room, she tried one last time with her friend and warden, "Laroura, why. Just answer me why."

"Conch. She heard rumors… and well.."

That's when Narc snapped out loud, "_**He **_put you up to this, didn't he! I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna take those helm buds of his and twist them until he screams. Then I'm gonna knee him until he crumbles and then when I get my hands on a serving tray, his helm and cord will be on it! I'll have his spark for dessert!"

Laroura's optics went wide at the gruesome rant. "You better not mean Perceptor! Seaspray?"

Narc stopped and whipped her head around, "Seaspray? What does he have to do with any of this?"

The two femmes stare at each other in disbelief. Narc was sure Laroura knew Drift was behind this. He had been bugging since they bonded. But if Drift said nothing to Laroura, his partner's mate….?

Laroura on the other hand was bewildered. Seaspray was mated to that other girl. Why would Narc be acting this way about the water-warrior? Seaspray would NEVER two time anyone. So who was she talking about?

Narc finally decided silence would be best. "You know, maybe I'll just take a break. Have you got anything to eat, I'm a bit famished."

"Sure. Let me see what I have. Uh, why don't you just relax here." They both nod in agreement to the break. In the kitchen, seeing Drift had left his kantana's on the couch, it finally hit Laroura. Narc had been muttering Drift's name in her sleep. The band on the back of her hand… oh noooo. The cube slipped from her hand smashing to the floor.

_**Sparkmate, I need you to look at Drift's hand. The left one. Look carefully. Please. **_The confusion mixed with frustration to being interrupted while training came back. _**Yes, it's important. Trust me.**_ The acknowledgement came back. Laroura finished the light meal and took it to her friend.

The lemon yellow and pink femme was not surprised to find the green and ice yellow one in the window seat arms tightly wrapped around her knees looking out across the landscape. Laroura sets the nourishment down by her knees. "Narc… I think we need to talk." The green helm just nods not turning from the view.

"I'm bonded to Perceptor and a creator of twins. Autoclave and Mercy. I'm a teacher here as well."

Now the green helm does turn resting the chin on the knee caps. "I'm on Haven, aren't I?"

"You know of Haven?" Laroura is actually surprised.

"I… I … I know some things I shouldn't." She tries carefully. "I hear rumors from some of the not-so- legal visitors to my….." A cold chill goes down her back.

Laroura reaches out and touches the mark on the yellow hand. The white band isn't completely visible, but at this close, and knowing the ancient language, she is pretty sure who Narc's bondmate is. After all, she does know the ancient language. It shocks her that Drift would take a mate, but it also explains a ton about his change of attitude. Narc flinches at Laroura tracing the bond mark. Laroura looks up to Narc's wide optics, "You need to talk to him." Narc turns her head aside and remains silent.

Laroura gets the send from her mate, _**Oh Primus, I'm going to kill him! When did he bond!" **_Laroura can only giggle and send back a reminder to their own flash bonding.

And then a wicked thought hits her: _**Send Drift here. You and I are taking the girls on a picnic after school.**_

Perceptor gapes: _**She's here?**_

_**I'll tell you later. Just get him here ASAP! **_From there Laroura stands up, "Narc, I'm going to pick up the girls from school. And there's a few things I need to pick up from the store. I won't be gone long, but I'm begging you, stay put."

Narc's voice shakes, "Like I really have a choice. I have no idea where I am, I have no friends besides you… Primus, my dad… my mom…"

Laroura pats her hand, "Just hang in there. We'll talk to Percy and figure something out. Okay. Just rest. Eat. Shower's right there with fresh towels, robe and stuff. Go, on." Laroura stands up and heads for the door. "Narc, it's going to be alright. You can start a new life here. Maybe even a real life." Narc looks up to her trying to figure out what that means. Laroura only smirks like she knows some classified secret.

~~00~~

Drift could understand why Perceptor was being so insistent that he stay at the house this time. Over and over, he has told them he prefers to sleep on Speck, unless he is sick or it's card-night. It was neither this time. What was that black helm scheming with his pretty pink femme? He hated it when those two cooked something up together. Last time is was a surprise party.

Then again, he couldn't disappoint his nieces or sister in law. So he just shrugged, "Whatever," and followed orders.

At the last minute Perceptor remembered he was supposed to pick the girls up from school. Thus ushered Drift to head back to the house alone. The white mech entered the house expecting nothing unusual. But there was this perfume. I knows it. It lingers in his mind. But it couldn't be. Must be tricks from earlier. He scoops up his kantanas to take them to the guest room. A good soldier doesn't leave his weapons within reach of his young nieces. Walking down the hall he sighs heavily, releasing Great. He continues down the hall releasing his armor. Laroura wasn't home either Percy had said.

Entering his room, the guest room, he shuts and locks the bedroom door, then lays the three swords on the near ceiling high shelf specifically designed for them. He shrugs out of the rest of his armor. He can smell the warmth of steaming solvent. _Oh my mind must be playing tricks on me because that sounds soooo good right now. _Now buck naked, he enters the wash rack. The water is on.

The water is on? There's a humming. He knows that voice. The bond-barrier slips. It as to be a mirage. An ice yellow hallucination is rubbing bubbling solvent over her luscious curves, full mounds, bends down to touch her ped…

"Oh Primus…" he gasps. "Narc…."

She whirls around and screams. He moves forward and grabs her tightly, lifting her from the floor. He carefully pulls her helm back so he can look directly into her optics, voice shaking, "Please say you are really here."

Her body is shaking at being grabbed so quickly in the wash rack. Then she sees her mate's optics and can feel his spark hammering against her own chest. At first she is delighted to see him, and then remembers her anger. "Please say you didn't have anything to do with this?"

He shakes his head violently but smirking, "I wish I had." Before she can protest, his mouth is crushing hers. Pinning her to the wall, delves his tongue into her mouth, clutching her tightly as if to never let go. All of her anger melts away. He needs her. He needs to know she is alive and with him. Right here, right now.

She had forgotten how much she needed him too. Her fingers cling to his under-armor afraid of his grasp slipping. "Drift… take me…." she managed to get out when he switches for a better grasp to her mouth.

He moans into the driving kiss. Plunging his need through their bond, she wriggles against his body aching for deeper contact. Like a rattlesnake attack, his _cord _reacts. He strikes out of it's protective housing deep into it's new home. Narc retches her head back, slamming it into the wall, and cries his name again. His hands grip her thighs even tighter as the _cord _begins it's articulating dance within her port. Both are panting and crying out in the heated contacted grating against the heated need.

Forgetting they are guests in someone else's home, they make passionate love under the hot water. Clawing, biting, sliding against each other… Kisses and explorations of near long forgotten body parts. Wave after wave of overload consumes and entrances them.

It wasn't until the water began to turn cold, that reality began to sink into the cuddling couple. Drift reaches up shutting off the offending cilled liquid. Narc reaches back and catches the tip of the towel, tugging it towards them but not letting herself slip from his lap. He helps her wrap the towel around her shoulders. She snuggles her nose into his chest.

"Drift, who knows about us?"

"Primus…"

She giggles, "Other than him?"

Instead he tenderly clamps his hand to her neck keeping it against himself, "Percy's no dummy nor is Laroura."

"Do we have to admit it?" Drift pushes through their bond he will do anything she asks. "Did you have them drag me here?"

Drift lifts her chin, "I honestly didn't know you were here. And now, it worries me as to how and who got you here. Are you alright?" Her chin trembles. She really didn't think she had any tears left, but this was her mate. The other half of her spark. She buries her head back into his neck. "It's alright. I've got you now," he soothes.

For once, she would let him console her. Ever so carefully, he lifts them both from the freezing shower floor. Carefully, he tucks them into bed, drawing the warm blankets up over their shoulders. But he has to have her tucked in such a way that he can see her face. Stroking her cheeks, he smiles. She looks so sad, but she's also here. This time, he strokes her spark slit, "Let me in." She obliges and he can see all her pain for her dead friends. Her fear. The conversation with Conch.

Sending back, he gives her the amusement of realizing it was Percy and Seaspray who had brought her to Haven. On top of that, lets her know, this is a chance to start that life they dreamed of… a real life. As a bonded pair. A new restaurant, one this place has been aching for and a gift she has.

Finally she pushes back and pulls out of the merge. He frowns. With a soft press to his lips she smiles, "Beloved, it's too much to digest right now. I… I need just this right now. I need to know I can have tonight uninterupeted."

He chuckles, "You haven't met my nieces yet." Her brow cocks. "If they know I am in the house, they will not let me go." Narc smiles broadly looping her wrists around his neck. "Give me now, before I have to fight for my mech's attention." Smiling broadly, he leans in and obliges. The last overload forces them both into stasis.

~~ Laroura and Percy enter the quiet house nervously. Swiftly Laroura ushers the girls to their room to begin homework. Percy softly steps down to the guest bedroom. Overriding the lock, pokes his head inside. Drift has the same ice yellow femme pinned beneath his sleeping form. Perceptor never would have seen her if it wasn't for the pink tipped fingers entwined in his helm-crest. Otherwise, it just looks like his partner has the most serene look on his face, snuggled into bed. Percy can't help but smile. Laroura comes to him and leans over his shoulder sharing his feeling. Ever so softly, they back away closing the door on the sleeping couple.

~~00~~ When Narc awakens in the morning, much to her disappointment, she is alone. But she can hear squeals of sparkling laughter outside the window. Rolling to her side, she finds an origami lotus. There's something written. Opening it carefully she sees he left her a note: _I have gone to play with my nieces. Come join us, friend of Laroura's._

Narc cups it closely to her chest. He has left her to make the choice as to weather to reveal them or not. She pulses a wave of her love for him. Catching it, he pulses his own back welcoming her to the new day.

Walking out to the kitchen, picking up a cup of warm Energon, she joins Laroura at the table over looking the garden and their bondmates playing with the twin femmelings and their doll house. Narc just sits there staring. Drift, so much like her father used to be…

"You okay, Narc?" the pink femme asks.

"Oh, just worried about my sire. He's got to be worried about me." Narc can't help but feel the warmth radiating off Percy and Drift. Drift has the little mech-youngling toy and pretending to be the younger brother helping Percy's sire figure load the luggage into the family transport. Meanwhile, Mercy is playing the creator figure and Autoclave the little sister. It's wonderful seeing the soft playful side of the warriors.

A hand slips over Narc's, "So ummm, how did you sleep?"

Okay, the pointed question. Narc amazingly doesn't flinch or change her focus, "Fine." The silence returns. Perceptor's family now loads all the figures into the vehicle. Drift scoops it up making it fly through the air and over to a flowering bush. The femmes squeal as he makes it bank and zoom though the air much like he would _Speck _in a battle situation. Percy teases Drift, who shoots him a smirk of mock hurt. The sisters squeal in horror as he pretends to make them hit a storm, rocking the vehicle. Narc and Laroura giggle at the silly antics of the great Ninja-bot and the stoic scientist laughing his aft off.

"Um…," Narc tries carefully, "Do you think I could get a little café going here? I'm gonna go nuts with nothing to do and it's the only thing I know."

Laroura smiles gripping her friend's hand tightly, "It would help us all out. I know some of our adolecents need an occupation and a place to hang out, keeping them out of trouble and teaching them a life beyond the war their parents have known. Could be helpful for celebrations and such as well."

Narc turns carefully to her friend waggling a finger, "YOU'RE the one who kidnapped me! You had this planned all along. Just needed a slave for your entertaining scheems!"

Laroura gives her best mocked-hurt expression, "ME? Why-"

Narc smiles, "Oh don't give me that sweet innocent nun look. You forget who snuck you all those books!" Then with a wicked wink, flicks a hand to the red and black mech, "Does he know about those fetishes of yours?"

Laroura blushes badly, "I would hardly call them fetishes." Narc scowls deeper. Laroura smiles wickedly, "Would you like to know how to conceive twins?" Narc's loud cackle of laugher draws the attention of the family from outside.

The girls drop their toys and dash into the house shocked at the source of laughter. "Mama? Who is this?" Mercy interrupts too excited to remember her manners. Autoclave, a bit more nervous, looks between her sire and uncle warily.

Percy turns to Drift waiting for his explaination. To his shock, Drift lowers himself to a knee beside his niece and shakes his head, "Mercy, that is not the proper way to introduce yourself. Let me show you." Hiding all the tremors in his spark, afraid it will leap out and pounce hers in front of everyone, he sticks out his hand, "Hey there, my name is Drift and this is my niece Mercy."

Narc takes his hand as if she's never met him before, "Hi. My name is Narc. I'm a friend of Laroura's."

Drift smiles, "Well if you can handle her cooking then you are stronger than you look. Warrior class too, are you?"

Laroura gapes, "DRIFT!" Mercy giggles knowing her mother is a wonderful cook.

A black ped kicks the white aft from underneath, "My home and I will protect my family from the likes of you, scoundrel! Good grieve, no wonder you can't keep a femme at your side!"

Oh that one stung in so many ways. Drift exchanged a painful look with Narc. Then ever so carefully, releases Narc's hand. Drift press a kiss to Mercy's cheek. "I've gotta go, Sweetspark." He stands and grazes a finger down Autoclave's silent cheek in silent love. Then steps around the red and black sire, shooting an apologetic look to the pink femme. Her look begs him to stay. He shakes his head.

"Drift, wait," Percy tries.

"Truth hurts, Perceptor. And I'm not a sparkling." With that he grabs his kantanas off the top of the front door cabinet, "I know I'm not mate material. Thanks for reminding me before I made a grievous mistake," and slips out the door. Walking away, he feels Narc questioning his retreat. He pulses back his concerns of them having a real life. Back and forth he has been struggling with weather they can have it or not. Maybe Percy was right. Narc replies with her plan to stay on Haven and build a new restaurant. The reply is one of joy and delight for her. Not necessarily for them. {end}

~~00~~ {**present}**

Drift snuggles his family a little tighter. Narc is now fully awake watching him tell their love story to their son. Her optics are so full of hope and yet understanding his flight better. Drift lifts his hand to Narc's cheek, "And so Blithe, very quickly the café your mother runs was eagerly approved. You should have seen everyone come out and help build it."

Narc touches his cheek back, "And you should see your sire lifting those beams and shoving a the stove into place."

Drift smirks, "And you should see your mother when she gets to cooking. Duck. She's a whirlwind of spices and sauces." Narc giggles. It lits his spark to see her happy again. "And then that opening night, we moved her into her new quarters. Right here above the café. Your home."

Narc stretches up, "And as I recall, you and I christened it."

Drift's amorous smile comes out, "Mmm, yes, I do recall that as well." The two drift into silence remembering that night of tender love making with no treat of calls from Autobot Command or parents. The memories press their fore helms together above their son.

Their son watches the warm expressions between his parents feeling it radiate around him. When he coos, they turn back to him.

Drift takes his son's tiny hand, wrapped around his finger and asks, "Narc, how did Blithe come to be. He… shouldn't be here. I mean…"

Narc smiles, "Well Water. I know we don't have the Well of the AllSpark here, but a certain femme had a bottle of the water. She spiked our anniversary drink."

Drift narrows his gaze, "Wait, you mean to tell me Percy and Laroura really did know all along and yet…."

"…When we weren't making our bond public, she decided to up the ante. On the two year anniversary of the café, that bottle of vintage Energon she gave me contained more than that."

Drift is shocked. "She spiked your drink with the Blessed Catalyst? Why?"

"She… she heard me at confession one day." Drift searches their bond for the answer. So she answers, "I begged for a way for our love to survive. I begged for you to have a legacy like Wing instilled in you…. I'm sorry?"

Drift rolls away flat on his back and starts laughing whole heartedly. The bed begins shaking at his uncontrollable laughter. The one that brings tears to your eyes and the more you try to stop, the longer it goes. Soon enough, the little one begins giggling too. And Narc raises herself up on one elbow looking down to them both.

Finally Drift lifts his hand to her face again, "Percy caught me in meditation one day too. I was praying to grant you the one gift you wanted most in this world." Narc joins his laughter.

Soon the laughter quells to smiles and caresses for the littlest member of the family. "Drift, I would like my sire to meet your son," Narc makes it clear what she really wants. Her family revealed.

Drift nods, "Percy should be back soon. He's taken Speck to go get him. While I was trying to make amends with you, Percy was going to find your sire. I think he needs you just as badly." Narc's fears whoosh out of her. Drift chuckles and curls her close again.

~~00~~ Later that day: The window dressings are pulled back flooding the loft with sunlight. Drift is settled in one window seat. Back to one side, knees bent, peds flat to the surface so that his son is resting with his back to his sire's thighs and looking up to the warm loving optics. Blithe's hands are wrapped around his sire's thumbs. Narc is working on tidying up the loft happy to be a real family unit.

A knock at the loft door snaps both of their heads. Drift curls his son to his chest, Great in his other hand at the ready. Narc pulls his dagger from the small of her back ready to strike.

"Drift, Narc, it's me," they both relax hearing Perceptor's voice. Narc opens the door as if everything was normal, and Drift rests son and sword. To her surprise, a larger black and white mech with gold trim, looking so broken stands behind the skinny red mech.

"Daddy!" Narc almost pushed Percy aside to latch herself to CHiP. His grip was crushing, "Oh sparkling, oh my precious precious femme!" Perceptor gets inside the room and makes his way to sit with Drift helping him play with the little one. Silently they share that sirely pride over Blithe while watching CHiP and Narc reconnect.

CHiP pulls back to get a good look at his daughter, "Are you alright, Narc?"

Narc giggles, "I was going to ask you that."

He smiles, "Seeing you healthy and well, I'm just fine."

She smiles sheepishly, "Then you won't kill me about what I have to tell you next… I hope."

"Naaaaaarc…" That warning tone from so long ago comes out again. Drift chuckles. CHiP lifts his head to the sound and then moves closer. "You? Again?" Although a shutter goes through his back. Then CHiP notices what Drift has so carefully within his grasp and gapes.

Narc comes to her mechs' sides and puts an arm around her sire while holding a hand out for Drift to entertwine, "Daddy, I'd like for you to meet my bondmate Drift and our son Blithe." Drift turns his son so he can look at his grandsire fully. Blithe reaches for the big black mech.

CHiP takes the little mechling with a very welcoming tone, "Hey there, son." The little one coos. CHiP then glances to Narc and then Drift. "Narc, he looks healthy. Both of them actually." Narc giggles to his jest. CHiP then curls his grandson into one arm while extending the other to Drift, "Welcome to the family, son."

Drift places his hand on the mech's inside forearm, "Welcome home, sir."

CHiP pulls Drift from the seat so he can embrace both his son and grandson, "Feel good, doesn't it?"

Drift's voice cracks, "Yes… yes it does…"

~~~~~_end. But looks like I have a new addition to Spark of Bots. Blithe. This wasn't one I expected. But then again, that's how one shots blow up into buck shot._


	9. bonus: uncle drift

**Prime Blood/ Spark of Bots: Contest Entry to TranAuthors Summer Heroes 2012**

_Background: Haven is the name of a refugee planet that Autobots and Decepticons have declared sanctuary to femmes and sparklings in my Prime Blood Saga. (Think Flotilla, but that is copyrighted by others so I have made my own sanctuary. Laroura, Mercy & Autoclave, Smudge mine… all else of course Hasbro.)_

Perceptor leans against the exterior door frame listening to the teacher give her instructions to the adolescent younglings. The pink and yellow femme lays a data pad to the desk surface. "So you have a three day weekend, plenty of time to begin. I don't expect you to have it done, because it is more important to me that you know why you have the extra day off."

A hand raises by a small black and green mechling. The teacher waves him to ask his question. "Is there anyone off limits?"

She smiles, "I would ask you to be a bit more creative than our current or past Primes, but if you are compelled, I ask that you really think about it. I don't want copied and pasted bits of past history, I want _your feelings, your emotions, your reasons._"

A red mech with budding ladderetts on his shoulders asks the next question. Perceptor can't help but smile as Smudge (Inferno and Firestar's son) shyly asks. "Are parents excluded?"

The teacher laughs lightly, catching the smirk from her mate in the doorway, "No, parents are fine. I'm sure they would be honored, Smudge." The mech flushes and buries his face into the desk top when the others lightly laugh at the offspring of two famous Rescue Bots. Yeah, he's got more than enough to go off of when considering his lineage.

The teacher waves her hands down for the others to give the poor mechling a break. "Any other questions?" No more pop up. "Okay, just to recap: It can be a poem, 3 haiku, essay, song lyrics but must be literature on someone you consider a hero and why you consider them. Class dismissed."

The younglings get up and gather their supplies and head towards the door. At this point, Perceptor has found it safe to step inside the classroom. He tries to avoid the rush out by standing to the side. Mercy sees her sire first and nearly leaps into his arms, "Daddy!"

As an adolescent this behavior is almost awkward, but seeing how the last mission had kept him away far longer than he planned, he didn't care. She missed her father dearly. And he missed her as well. Clutching her just as tight, he snuggles back, "Mercy, my Sweetspark, how are you?"

She kisses her father's cheek, "Better now."

He chuckles and giving her a nuzzle. And then he feels a second set of arms wrap around his waist from the back. Turning ever so slightly, he sees Mercy's twin with her optic lenses skewed hiding her face in his back plates. Perceptor wraps a palm around her helm, "Hello Autoclave." She says nothing but stifles her response in his back. She always was a bit more reserved than her sister.

Laroura makes her way to her family as the students say their hellos to Perceptor and goodbyes to his family. By the time she makes it, Mercy has slid down to stand on her own peds giving room for her mother to kiss her father in a tender yet leading way. He pulls back questioning her action. She only smirks.

A couple friends call to Mercy to join them. Mercy looks up to her beloved sire, "You, you aren't leaving again are you?"

Perceptor gives her a compassionate smile, "No Sweetspark, I'm all yours for a few weeks."

Mercy sighs heavily with relief. "In that case, I'll see you at home?" He nods. With a last kiss to his cheek and a wave to her mother, she dashes to join her friends walking back to the private domiciles.

Now Autoclave still hasn't moved. Both parents look down to her. They know that look, she needs time alone with her sire. Laroura looks back up to her mate, "Um, I need to finish up here for a few minutes. I'll see you at home?" He know exactly what she is doing and smiles. He loves her so much… his hero. So he smiles and pecks her cheek. As the older pink femme walks away, Perceptor turns in the younger one's arms, "So, looks like it's just you and me. What do you say we head home?" Still silent she nods. Perceptor reaches over and takes the bag that he knows is hers and then slips his larger palm over hers to head home.

The weather was perfect and Percy couldn't help but smile up at the sun, stopping to bask in its warmth of a moment. "Dad…" A soft voice draws his attention away from the sun to his own gift of light with a beaming smile. But her expression is one of angst and worry.

Perceptor kneels before his beautiful daughter bearing the old fashioned lenses like he sometimes wears when reading. Unfortunately, she will have to wear them until her adult form is finished and final surgery can be performed. Complications during her emergence had caused her optics to be damaged. But that is not what mars her face, it was her expression. "Hey Autoclave, it's okay. I'm home safe."

Autoclave smiles at him thinking her worry is for that, "I know Dad, but it's not that. Well not really." He perks up curiously. "It's about Mom's essay assignment."

"Really? Why would that cause you such distress?"

She bites her lip for a moment, "I know Mercy is going to do hers about you. Would you be upset if I did mine about Uncle Drift?"

Percy pulls his head back in shock, "Why would I be upset? He would be touched greatly."

"I know _he _will be, if not embarrassed… well I didn't want you to be mad." She bites her lip again.

Perceptor gives her his broadest warm smile and cups her face in his soft skilled palms, "I would be delighted if you would write an essay about my best friend and your god-sire being your hero." Then he kisses her forehead. "Okay?" She nods with her own grateful beaming smile. "But I do have to ask, why Drift?"

Her nose scrunches, "Well I do need your help with some questions I have. But the main reason I want to write about him is because…. When I see him," she gives a weary sigh, "… he's always so happy to see us, but yet it's like there is something dark.. No that's not the word… there's something so sad behind his optics and spark." Perceptor's smile fades, he knows all too well what Drift's problem is. What could he say? "I've-I've heard rumors that Drift can't love after everything he went through. That he's just so …" At this, Perceptor wraps his arms tightly around his daughter and hugs her securely. His own words were lacking, but his very intuitive daughter knew her uncle quite well.

Her father's silent warm actions scared and yet moved her. "I will tell you anything I can that will be helpful. Thank you, daughter, thank you."

~~00~~

Two weeks later at the spring festival friends and family gather for the talent show. Drift squirmed in his seat, swords hitching in his confines. Perceptor elbows him to hold still. It had been a long show and for those not used to "children's performances" it could be boring. But Perceptor wouldn't let Drift get away with this. He had to wait until the end.

Laroura steps up to the podium, "And now for our last talent. A few weeks ago the children had an assignment to find a form of literature to express who they believe is a hero. Then they all voted, and here is the winner to read it: Autoclave."

Drift perked up at his "niece" nervously taking the podium. Shyly and quietly she begins: "Some say he is a traitor. Some say he is lost. Some say he has no spark. I love him at all cost."

She clears her throat and sees her mother motioning her to speak louder. The pink and black femmeling takes a deep breath not looking up from her pad, "Some say he is trouble. Some say he shouldn't be here. Some say he has more to prove. Those words bring me to tears."

Perceptor sees Drift clench a fist and reads that protective expression: _No one makes his niece cry_! Percy can only smile. Autoclave continues, "Some say he paid the ultimate price. Some say he got what he deserved. Some say he didn't deserve a second chance. I used to lay down and cry when I heard those words."

The room is dead silent except for the sound of Autoclave wiping her tears from the edges of her glasses and sniffing back so she can continue. "I one day saw his deep and ragged scars upon his skilled form. Those aren't the ones that scare me. It's the ones that can not be seen that do. The ones that can not be undone that leave me torn in two." Laroura's stifles her own sob for a moment. Autoclave clenches her data pad even more nervously. Perceptor continues to watch his friend's reaction, unaware he is being watched.

"It's the ones he bares alone. For all that is unsaid and yet done. It's for the ones that only he can shake. The ones I wish I he could forsake."

Autoclave's words are hitting Drift deep and hard but it still hasn't registered. Autoclave presses on: "I see the mech the others do not see. I see the one who laughs to forget and flee. I see the mech who taught me to climb a tree and brings me sweeties." A small giggle goes through the crowd. Now her voice hitches in a new way: "I have the mech no others know. He is white as snow. He likes to tweak my nose. And always kisses me before he goes."

At this point, Drift's jaw drops. Percy lays a hand on his partner's wrist. Autoclave's lighter voice continues and lifts her optics for just a moment to her father for approval (afraid to look at her uncle). Perceptor gives her a slight nod, she continues: "I have this hero in my life. I am so very lucky. He is part of my family. He said I am his life." Now she turns ever so slightly, tears streaming down as she catches her uncle's gaze, "I may never know what each scar represents, but I do know every breath is a present. I may never know all the horrors he went through, but I do know his love for me is true." Now her voice trembles as she beams proudly, "Many do not understand him, but I do. We watch the breeze together. We watch ripples appear. We watch what others can not see or hear."

"He knows I have fears, but he helps me see clear. He knows I am not strong, he doesn't let me frown for long. He teaches me to look within my spark at walks within the park.

Now her voice chokes, "He… he-he calms me Sparkling Dear, and I call him Uncle Of No Fear." She can not move scared she may have made a bad move. No one moves except to turn their heads and find who Autoclave has her nervous sights locked onto.

Not a sound was made except a few sniffles. And then a rustle. Everyone watches as the tall Ninjabot with Wing's Great Sword strapped proudly to his back, steps away from his assassin-partner, to walk slowly, confidently down the center aisle not even bothering to wipe the tears from his scared and proud face. Autoclave steps around the podium as the great and powerful warrior lowers himself to one knee and opens his arms wide. The pink and black teenage femme walks into her uncle's arms and is embraced ever so tightly, clutching her helm to the crook of his neck.

His voice shakes with deep spark wrenching emotion, "I love you Autoclave."

"I love you too Uncle Drift."


End file.
